172 CLINICAL ORTHOPAEDICS AND RELATED RESEARCH Number 404, pp. 172–188 © 2002 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc. There is interest in quantifying the patient’s func- tion and mobility after joint replacement. The current study identified activities important to pa- tients having total knee replacement and the prevalence of limitations to participation in these activities. A Total Knee Function Questionnaire consisting of 55 questions addressing the patient’s participation in various activities was developed, validated, and mailed to 367 patients at least 1 year after knee replacement. Patients were asked the frequency with which they did each ac- tivity, the activity’s importance to them, and the extent to which their participation was limited by their knee replacement. The questionnaire was returned by 176 patients, 40% men and 60% women, with an average age of 70.5 years. The most prevalent activities were stretching exercises (73%), leg strengthening exercises (70%), kneel- ing (58%), and gardening (57%). The activities most important to the patients were stretching ex- ercises (56%), kneeling (52%), and gardening (50%); those most difficult were squatting (75%), kneeling (72%), and gardening (54%). The current study showed a high correlation be- tween the importance of activities and frequency of patient participation confirming that knee re- placement successfully restores a significant de- gree of function. However, after knee replace- ment, improvements in knee function still are needed to allow patients to do all activities that they consider important. During the past decade, increasing emphasis has been given to the outcome of medical treatment, in terms of the real and perceived success of medical interventions in achieving pretreatment goals. As part of this process, the patient’s perspective is being considered as an essential component of the evaluation of treat- ment. This shift in emphasis is part recogni- tion that, to a significant extent, patients’ ex- pectations determine their assessment of the success of any treatment plan. Moreover, pa- tients’ levels of satisfaction with their own medical care generates much of the demand for expensive procedures and claims for mon- etary compensation through the legal system. Despite increasing recognition of the impor- What Functional Activities Are Important to Patients With Knee Replacements? Jennifer M. Weiss, MD*; Philip C. Noble, PhD*; Michael A. Conditt, PhD** Harold W. Kohl, PhD*; Seth Roberts, BS*; Karon F. Cook, PhD*; Michael J. Gordon, MD*; and Kenneth B. Mathis, MD* From the *Barnhart Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX; and the **Center for Advanced Technology in Orthopedics, Houston, TX. Funding provided by John S. Dunn Foundation, Houston, Texas; Institute of Orthopedic Research and Educa- tion, Houston, Texas; The Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. Reprint requests to Philip C. Noble, PhD, Barnhart De- partment of Orthopedic Surgery, Baylor College of Med- icine, 6550 Fannin, Suite 2625, Houston, TX 77030. Phone: 713-986-5462; Fax: 713-986-5461; E-mail: pnoble @bcm.tmc.edu. DOI: 10.1097/01.blo.0000036536.46246.d9