OPERA – Ongoing Pain After Knee Replacement Study

Joint replacement surgery is a common surgical intervention for alleviating the chronic pain and disability associated with end stage arthritis resistant to non–surgical therapies. Knee arthroplasty is the most commonly performed joint replacement procedure in the UK. It has been widely deemed one of the most successful orthopaedic operations; however there remain a significant proportion of patients who experience ongoing pain and functional limitations following knee replacement with up to 20% of patients reporting persistent pain.

A wide variety of causes have been proposed for persistent pain following knee replacement. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the profile of patients with persistent unexplained pain following total and partial knee replacement surgery, compared to patients with no pain after knee replacement.  To do this a case-controlled study of 100 patients with persistent pain after knee replacement and 200 patients without pain is being conducted.

If you would like any further information regarding this study please contact Nick Howells