Up to 25% of patients undergoing knee arthroplasty report chronic pain postoperatively. Early identification of high-risk individuals can enhance pain management strategies. This retrospective analysis investigates the incidence of severe postoperative pain and its associated risk factors among 740 patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty. Utilizing a digital application, patients provided comprehensive data encompassing pre- and postoperative pain levels, analgesic usage, and completed a chronic pain risk assessment. Participants were categorized into two distinct groups based on their pain status at three months post-op: Group D+ (14%), characterized by pain scores exceeding 40/100 and/or the utilization of level 2 or 3 analgesics, and Group D− (86%), who did not meet these criteria. An analysis of pain trajectories within these groups revealed a non-linear progression, with specific patterns emerging amongst those predisposed to chronic pain. Notably, patients with a trajectory towards chronic pain exhibited a plateau in pain intensity approximately three weeks post-surgery. Significant preoperative risk factors were identified, including elevated initial pain levels, the presence of comorbidities, pain in other body areas, heightened joint sensitivity and stiffness. This study highlights the utility of digital platforms in enhancing patient care, particularly through the continuous monitoring of pain. Such an approach facilitates the early identification of potential complications and enables timely interventions.

The purpose of this study was to report the effectiveness of preoperative transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) of musculoskeletal tumors in terms of blood loss and functional outcomes. Patients who underwent preoperative TAE of hypervascular musculoskeletal tumors between January 2018 and December 2021 were retrospectively included. The patients’ characteristics, TAE procedure details, degree of post-TAE devascularization, surgical outcomes in terms of red blood cell transfusion and functional results were collected. The degree of devascularization was compared between patients who had peri-operative transfusion and those who did not. Thirty-one patients were included. The 31 TAE procedures led to complete (58%) or near-complete (42%) tumor devascularization. Twenty-two patients (71%) had no blood transfusion during surgery. Nine patients (29%) had a blood transfusion, with a median number of red blood cell packs of three (q1, 2; q3, 4; range: 1–4). Eight patients (27%) had complete improvement of the initial musculoskeletal symptoms at the end of the follow-up, 15 (50%) had partially satisfying improvement, 4 (13%) had partially unsatisfying improvement and 3 (10%) had no improvement. Our study suggests that preoperative TAE of hypervascular musculoskeletal tumors allowed for bloodless surgery in 71% of patients and minimal transfusion needs for the remaining 29%.