Fast-track knee arthroplasty -- status and future challenges.

BACKGROUND: Fast-track programs have been developed for different surgical procedures leading to higher patient satisfaction and lower morbidity. This concept has been extended to knee arthroplasty in recent years. The purpose of this narrative review was to discuss the different aspects of fast-track knee arthroplasty.

METHOD: Both authors searched the contemporary literature on minimally invasive knee arthroplasty and review articles on fast-track surgery aiming to summarize recent developments.

RESULTS: Length of stay after knee arthroplasty is influenced by preoperative risk factors, anaesthetic and surgical techniques, pain, orthostatic intolerance, cognitive function, sleep disturbances, bleeding and anaemia and finally muscle function and rehabilitation.

CONCLUSIONS: Fast-track surgery reduces the length of stay and the morbidity after knee arthroplasty.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Optimisation of pre-, per- and postoperative pathway for knee arthroplasty reduces morbidity after this type of surgery and results in shorter length of stay.