Central sensitization (CS) has been extensively researched as a cause of persistent pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This systematic review study sought to investigate the diagnosis of CS in patients who underwent TKA for knee osteoarthritis (OA) and the effect of CS on clinical outcomes after TKA. Three comprehensive databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library, were searched for studies that evaluated the outcomes of TKA in knee OA patients with CS. Data extraction, risk of bias assessment, and (where appropriate) meta-analysis were performed. The standardized mean difference (SMD) with a 95% confidence interval was used to assess the different scales of pain. A total of eight studies were selected, including two retrospective studies and five prospective observational studies. One study used additional randomized controlled trial data. Five studies were finally included in the meta-analysis. All studies had a minimum follow-up period of 3 months. The Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), whole-body pain diagram, and quantitative sensory testing (QST) were used for measuring CS. The pooled analysis showed that patients with CS had more severe postoperative pain after TKA (SMD, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.40−0.90; p < 0.01) with moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 60%). In patients who underwent TKA with knee OA, CSI is most often used for the diagnosis of CS, and the QST and whole-body pain diagram are also used. CS is closely associated with more severe and persistent pain after TKA.
Keywords: central sensitization; central sensitization inventory; diagram; outcome; pain; quantitative sensory test; total knee arthroplasty.