People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who undergo a total knee replacement can expect to experience less pain and a better quality of life afterwards, a new study has found.

However, these improvements will not be as good as those experienced by people with osteoarthritis.

Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints that causes pain and immobility, ranging from mild to severe. Osteoarthritis and RA are two of the most common forms.

However, according to US researchers, while RA is the most common type of arthritis for which surgery is indicated, studies into the effects of total knee replacements on the quality of life of patients have tended to focus on people with osteoarthritis.

They decided to assess the effects of the surgery in people with RA versus people with osteoarthritis.

They found that when it comes to RA, this type of surgery is very effective at reducing pain in the knee and also improves quality of life overall. In fact, they said that the surgery can act as a ‘time machine', with patients returning to a less disabled lifestyle afterwards.

However, these improvements are not as good as those seen in relation to osteoarthritis. This is because a new knee can provide a patient with osteoarthritis '10-20 years of painless use, whereas RA continues to affect the joint soon afterward'.

"It's an important and effective treatment, but patients with RA shouldn't expect the same, often-dramatic results experienced by their osteoarthritis counterparts. You've gotten rid of a knee plagued by arthritis, not the arthritis itself. Still, it's an important option that can dramatically improve the patient's quality of life," the researchers said.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, Arthritis & Rheumatology.

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