Published 6/26/2025
Living with osteoarthritis not only affects a person’s quality of life but also can greatly impact the spouse’s quality of life. A new study found that spouses experienced significant improvements in quality of life after partners had total hip or knee arthroplasty (THA, TKA). Presented at the AAOS 2025 Annual Meeting, the study is among the first to demonstrate this positive impact.
“A lot of times what we see in clinical practice, the spouse prompts the patient to seek care for a variety of reasons, such as not being able to do everyday activities,” said study coauthor Nicholas Michael Brown, MD, FAAOS, an associate professor at Loyola Medicine in Chicago. “This study further validates the effectiveness of knee and hip replacements for patients’ pain and well-being, as well as those around them. It confirms the transformational power of this surgery and the ways it benefits their spouses and families.”
In a retrospective cohort study, the researchers surveyed 100 spouses of patients who underwent THA or TKA—50 in the THA group and 50 in the TKA group—at a single urban tertiary academic medical center. The survey included six questions related to caregiving burden, quality of life, and physical function. It was completed at least 1 year after the spouse’s surgery, with means of 1.9 and 2.2 years postoperatively for the THA and TKA groups, respectively.
Spouses were asked about assisting their partners on a one-to-five scale, with one meaning “never” and five meaning “always.” At baseline, 1 to 2 weeks postoperatively, and at least 1 year postoperatively, rates of spouse-reported assistance with everyday activities in the THA group were 2.58, 2.68, and 1.42, respectively. When spouses were surveyed about their own quality of life compared to before their spouse’s surgery, 70 percent said their quality of life was slightly or significantly better, 28 percent noted no change, and 2 percent reported a slightly worse quality of life. There were no reports of significantly worse quality of life. Spouses also reported significant improvement in the patient’s physical function and quality of life after THA.
The TKA group saw comparable results. In the 1 to 2 weeks following surgery, spouse-reported assistance with daily activities increased, but it decreased at least 1 year after surgery compared to the preoperative mark. At baseline, 1 to 2 weeks postoperatively, and at least 1 year postoperatively, the means were 1.98, 3.74, and 1.84, respectively. Seventy-six percent of spouses said their quality of life was slightly better or significantly better after their significant other’s TKA. Spouses also said the patient’s physical function and quality of life improved following knee replacement.
“For surgeons, this study is an important piece of information they can use to counsel their patients and their spouses on what to expect after THA and TKA,” said lead author Nicolas Jozefowski, BS, an alumnus of Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University. “It is well studied that the patient’s quality of life improves following surgery, but now we know it will also improve for spouses. Most spouses assume a caregiving role when their partner has joint replacement surgery and they are sacrificing a bit in terms of their quality of life, but we can show it will improve with these data. Patients can have less pain, and couples can do more things together after THA and TKA.”
The study was limited in that it was retrospective, and spouses were asked to recall their opinions from before and immediately after the patient’s surgery, which may introduce recall bias. Other health issues that may impact quality of life were not included.
Dr. Brown and Mr. Jozefowski’s coauthors of “Spouses of Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Patients See Improvements in Quality of Life” are Bryan Haughom, MD, FAAOS; Daniel Schmitt, MD; Jacob M. Farley; and Matthew W. Cole, MD.