Papers of the Week

Total knee arthroplasty is one of the most frequently performed orthopaedic surgeries. However, up to 20% of patients develop persistent postoperative pain. Persistent postoperative pain may be an extension of acute postoperative pain, but can also occur after more than 3 months without symptoms. Risk factors associated with persistent postoperative pain after arthroplasty have now been characterised within the patient's perioperative context (preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative), and can be grouped under genetic, demographic, clinical, surgical, analgesic, inflammatory and psychological factors. Identification and prevention of persistent postoperative pain through a multimodal and biopsychosocial approach is essential in the context of perioperative medicine, and has been shown to prevent or ameliorate postoperative pain.