Bilateral total hip and knee replacement in adults with rheumatoid arthritis: an evaluation of function.

Sixteen patients with advanced rheumatoid arthritis who underwent total joint replacements of both hips and both knees were followed for an average of 22.8 months postoperatively. Their functional status before and after surgery was assessed by use of a special rating system for function. Fourteen of the 16 patients demonstrated higher total function scores at follow-up. Improvement was most marked in walking endurance, need for walking aids, and ability to climb stairs. Factors which were believed to predispose to less functional improvement included older age at initial surgery, longer duration of disease, more severe upper extremity involvement, and more frequent medical illnesses. There were 8 patients in whom combined hip and knee flexion in one or both lower extremities did not exceed 190 degrees after surgery. When this deficiency was combined with severe involvement of the upper extremities, difficulty with activities such as climbing stairs and arising from a chair was more common. Therefore, the goal of surgical treatment is to provide combined hip and knee flexion in excess of 190 degrees in these patients. Total joint arthroplasty has increased the likelihood of functional improvement in patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis involving the hips and knees, and encouraged the surgeon to operate earlier in the course of the disease as well as on patients with severely deformed joints.