A Scoping Review of Pain Catastrophizing in Patients Undergoing Joint Replacement Surgery

This scoping review systematically synthesizes research on pain catastrophizing in patients undergoing joint replacement surgery (hip, knee, shoulder arthroplasty). Guided by the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we will search PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and PsycINFO to identify quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies on this topic. The review aims to: (1) determine the prevalence and clinical links of pain catastrophizing to postoperative pain, functional recovery, and psychological outcomes; (2) characterize the methodological approaches of existing studies; (3) identify research gaps (e.g., understudied subgroups, untested interventions). We will extract and narratively synthesize data on study characteristics, assessment tools, and key findings. Expected outcomes include a research landscape map of pain catastrophizing in joint replacement patients, a summary of its impact on postoperative outcomes, and evidence-based recommendations for clinical screening and intervention of pain catastrophizing in orthopaedic care.