Proximal Tibial Bone Density Is Preserved After Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty

Background

Bone mineral density (BMD) in the proximal tibia decreases after TKA and is believed to be a factor in implant migration and loosening. Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is a less invasive procedure preserving knee compartments unaffected by degeneration. Finite element studies have suggested UKA may preserve BMD and that implants of differing stiffnesses might differentially affect BMD but these notions have not been clinically confirmed.

Questions/purposes

We therefore asked whether (1) proximal tibial BMD decreases after UKA, and (2) a cemented metal tibial component with a mobile polyethylene (PE) bearing would have greater BMD loss than a cemented PE tibial component.

Methods

We prospectively followed 48 patients who underwent 50 UKAs using one of two implants: one with a cemented metal tibial baseplate and a mobile PE insert (n = 26) and one with a cemented all-PE tibial component (n = 24). In followup we assessed pain and function (Oxford Knee Score, SF-12, The Knee Society Score^©) and radiographs. BMD changes were assessed using quantitative CT osteodensitometry performed postoperatively and at 1 and 2 years after the index procedure.

Results

Mean cancellous BMD decreased 1.9% on the medial side and 1.1% on the lateral side. Mean cortical BMD was static, decreasing 0.4% on the medial side and increasing 0.5% on the lateral side. The greatest observed difference between implants for any region was 3.7%. There were no differences in pain or functional outcome scores.

Conclusions

BMD was preserved 2 years after UKA with no major differences seen between implant types.     

Reduziert ein erh?hter tibialer Slope den Abrieb bei unikondyl?ren Schlittenprothesen?

Introduction

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has become a standard procedure with good clinical outcome in patients with isolated medial osteoarthritis of the knee. However, the survival rates of UKA are still inferior compared to that of total knee arthroplasty. Aseptic loosening and wear are responsible for more than 50% of revisions. Therefore, this study evaluated the influence of the tibial slope on the wear rate in a medial UKA.

Materials and methods

The wear rate of a medial mobile-bearing UKA (Univation? Aesculap, Tuttlingen, Deutschland) was evaluated according to the ISO 14243-1:2002(E) norm with a customized four-station servo-hydraulic knee wear simulator (EndoLab, Thansau, Germany). In the first group, the prostheses was medially implanted with 0° slope (n?=?3) and in the second group the prostheses was medially implanted with 8° slope (n?=?3). The lateral side was kept constant with 0° in both groups. For each implant, a total of 5.0 million cycles was performed and after every 0.5 million cycles the gravimetric wear rate was determined.

Results

The wear rate in the 0° slope group was 3.46?±?0.59?mg/million cycles and therefore significantly higher than in the 8° slope group with 0.99?±?0.42?mg/million cycles (p?Discussion An increase in the tibial slope leads to a reduced wear rate in a mobile-bearing UKA. Therefore, at least for this mobile-bearing UKA a higher tibial slope seems favorable to reduce the wear. However, before an optimal position of the tibial slope can be recommended, further investigations are required to evaluate the influence of the tibial slope on other factors, such as the ligament tension or the strain on the lateral compartment.     

Erfahrungen mit medialen monokondylären Prothesen mit mobilem Plateau

Background

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has become an accepted therapy for medial osteoarthritis. The main reasons for its popularity are the minimally invasive surgical technique and the reports of excellent long-term results including high patient satisfaction and good knee joint function especially in younger patients.

Objectives

The purpose of our retrospective study was to evaluate the physical activities of patients who had undergone an Oxford III medial UKA. Special attention was paid to implant positioning and osteoarthritis of the patellofemoral joint.

Materials and methods

Of 181 implanted Oxford III prosthesis, 136 (75.1%) could be followed up. The mean age at time of surgery was 65.2 years; the average time of follow-up was 4.2 years. In addition to a physical examination and x-ray, the following scores were obtained: WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index), OKS (Oxford Knee Score), KSS (Knee Society Score), UCLA activity and the Turba score.

Results

The majority of the patients (81%) returned to their sporting activity following knee surgery. Higher complication rates or progression of osteoarthritis associated with sporting activities were not observed. The active patients had significantly higher scores for the OKS, KSS, WOMAC, and UCLA scores. The correct implant position, especially avoiding overcorrection to valgus malalignment, is important for good clinical outcome.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that a high degree of patient satisfaction in terms of physical and sporting activity can be achieved using the Oxford III UKA for medial osteoarthritis without an increased risk for complications.     

Moderne unikondyläre Kniearthroplastik

Background

Unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) is an established therapeutic option for advanced medial or lateral gonarthrosis.

Objectives

The cornerstones of a successful UKA, careful patient selection, preoperative planning and precise operation technique, are discussed in this overview article.

Importance

In contrast to total knee arthroplasty, UKA allows preservation of the contralateral and patellofemoral compartments as well as the cruciate ligaments and is often associated with rapid postoperative recovery, improved knee kinematics and knee function. However, UKA is technically very demanding. High revision rates have been reported in particular with widespread application, according to national joint replacement registries.

Conclusion

Successful UKA relies on meticulous patient selection, preoperative planning and surgical technique. It is justified to broaden classic UKA indications. In medial and lateral UKA three types of mechanical varus-valgus deformity can be encountered: type 1 (isolated intraarticular deformity), type 2 (pronounced deformity due to extraarticular varus deformity in medial UKA or valgus deformity in lateral UKA), type 3 (reduced deformity due to extraarticular valgus deformity in medial UKA or varus deformity in lateral UKA). We believe these deformities should be addressed accordingly with surgical technique.     

Erfahrungen mit lateralen unikondylären Prothesen

Background

Unicompartmental osteoarthritis of the knee joint affects the medial compartment more often than the lateral compartment whereby the lateral is solely affected in only 5–10?% of cases. In this case unicompartmental knee arthroplasty has been shown to be an effective alternative to total knee arthroplasty. There are some basic anatomical and biomechanical differences between the medial and lateral compartment of the knee joint which directly influence modern surgery techniques and implant design. In general, kinematics and design are fundamentally different in mobile-bearing compared to fixed-bearing prostheses.

Objectives

This article presents a summary of outcome and survival rates after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty in the lateral compartment.

Methods

This article is based on a literature search in the PubMed database for clinical results after lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.

Results

The results demonstrate that lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty with a mobile-bearing implant and a domed tibial plateau design gives an excellent clinical outcome while reducing the dislocation rate to an acceptable level in the short and mid-term. Published data on the clinical outcome of fixed-bearing lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty prostheses revealed heterogeneous results due to the inclusion of different implant designs and relatively small patient cohorts. Nevertheless, most of them demonstrated good clinical results with a longer follow-up than current studies concerning mobile-bearing prostheses.

Conclusion

Based on the published data it is not possible to demonstrate precise differences in clinical outcome and survival rates after mobile-bearing and fixed-bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty or to make clear recommendations on the use of each type of prosthesis.     

Improved Survival of Computer-Assisted Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty: 252 Cases With a Minimum Follow-Up of 5 Years

Background

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is an underutilized implant for medial tibiofemoral arthritis despite proven benefits in performance and reduced complications. This is likely related to registry recorded higher revision rates compared with total knee arthroplasty. It is our feeling that better component alignment resulting from the usage of computer-assisted surgery should improve longer-term functional results and survival of UKAs.

Computer-assisted unicompartmental knee arthroplasty using dedicated software versus a conventional technique

Purpose

The aim of this study was to retrospectively compare the results of two matched-paired groups of patients who had undergone a medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) performed using either a conventional or a non-image-guided navigation technique specifically designed for unicompartmental prosthesis implantation.

Methods

Thirty-one patients with isolated medial-compartment knee arthritis who underwent an isolated navigated UKA were included in the study (group A) and matched with patients who had undergone a conventional medial UKA (group B). The same inclusion criteria were used for both groups. At a minimum of six months, all patients were clinically assessed using the Knee Society Score (KSS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) index. Radiographically, the frontal-femoral-component angle, the frontal-tibial-component angle, the hip-knee-ankle angle and the sagittal orientation of components (slopes) were evaluated. Complications related to the implantation technique, length of hospital stay and surgical time were compared.

Results

At the latest follow-up, no statistically significant differences were seen in the KSS, function scores and WOMAC index between groups. Patients in group B had a statistically significant shorter mean surgical time. Tibial coronal and sagittal alignments were statistically better in the navigated group, with five cases of outliers in the conventional alignment technique group. Postoperative mechanical axis was statistically better aligned in the navigated group, with two cases of overcorrection from varus to valgus in group B. No differences in length of hospital stay or complications related to implantation technique were seen between groups.

Conclusion

This study shows that a specifically designed UKA-dedicated navigation system results in better implant alignment in UKA surgery. Whether this improved alignment results in better clinical results in the long term has yet to be proven.     

UKA in combination with PFR at average 12-year follow-up

Introduction

Safety and efficacy of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has been shown in large patient series. Patellofemoral replacement (PFR) is known to be a viable solution to end-stage patellofemoral arthritis. Bicompartmental osteoarthritis (OA) affecting the medial tibio-femoral and the patello-femoral compartment (medio-patellofemoral OA) is often treated with total knee arthroplasty (TKA). It was hypothesized that medio-patellofemoral OA can successfully be treated with bicompartmental arthroplasty.

Method

In a retrospective approach nine patients who had received UKA in combination with PFR were included into the study. Intact ACL and lateral compartment were conditions for the indication. Patients were clinically examined including clinical scores (KSS and WOMAC) and radiographies were evaluated. Satisfaction of patients was recorded under four categories.

Results

Average follow-up after bicompartmental arthroplasty was 11.8 ± 5.4 years (4–17 years). Among the nine patients there were eight females and one male at an average age at operation of 64 ± 5 years. No surgical revisions were required following bicompartmental arthroplasty. The KSS score increased from a preoperative 68.8 ± 26.2 to 175.5 ± 22.9 at latest follow-up (p = 0.002). WOMAC was 18.3 ± 8.6 at latest follow-up. All patients included were satisfied (n = 3) or very satisfied (n = 6) with the outcome of this surgical procedure.

Conclusion

This small case series shows that a bicompartmental arthroplasty can be a successful approach to prevent or postpone TKA. However, this intervention is technically demanding and requires experience in both UKA and PFR.     

In vivo kinematics of a robot-assisted uni- and multi-compartmental knee arthroplasty

Background

There is great interest in providing reliable and durable treatments for one- and two-compartment arthritic degeneration of the cruciate-ligament intact knee. One approach is to resurface only the diseased compartments with discrete unicompartmental components, retaining the undamaged compartment(s). However, placing multiple small implants into the knee presents a greater surgical challenge than total knee arthroplasty, so it is not certain that the natural knee mechanics can be maintained or restored. The goal of this study was to determine whether near-normal knee kinematics can be obtained with a robot-assisted multi-compartmental knee arthroplasty.

Methods

Thirteen patients with 15 multi-compartmental knee arthroplasties using haptic robotic-assisted bone preparation were involved in this study. Nine subjects received a medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA), three subjects received a medial UKA and patellofemoral (PF) arthroplasty, and three subjects received medial and lateral bi-unicondylar arthroplasty. Knee motions were recorded using video-fluoroscopy an average of 13 months (6–29 months) after surgery during stair and kneeling activities. The three-dimensional position and orientation of the implant components were determined using model-image registration techniques.

Results

Knee kinematics during maximum flexion kneeling showed femoral external rotation and posterior lateral condylar translation. All knees showed femoral external rotation and posterior condylar translation with flexion during the step activity. Knees with medial UKA and PF arthroplasty showed the most femoral external rotation and posterior translation, and knees with bicondylar UKA showed the least.

Conclusions

Knees with accurately placed uni- or bi-compartmental arthroplasty exhibited stable knee kinematics consistent with intact and functioning cruciate ligaments. The patterns of tibiofemoral motion were more similar to natural knees than commonly has been observed in knees with total knee arthroplasty. Larger series are required to confirm these as general observations, but the present results demonstrate the potential to restore or maintain closer-to-normal knee kinematics by retaining intact structures and compartments.     

Midterm-Adjusted Survival Comparing the Best Performing Unicompartmental and Total Knee Arthroplasties in a Registry

Background

Recent literature suggests that the difference in revision risk between unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can be influenced by surgeon volume and other confounders. We hypothesized that implant selection might decrease the relative risk of revision in an adjusted model.

A Comparison of Mobile and Fixed-Bearing Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty at a Minimum 10-Year Follow-up

Background

The long-term survivorship and functional outcomes of the mobile-bearing (MB) compared to the fixed-bearing (FB) unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) implant design remain a topic of debate. The aim of the current study was to compare the survivorship and functional outcomes of MB and FB UKA at a minimum 10-year follow-up.

Differences in Patient-Reported Outcomes Between Unicompartmental and Total Knee Arthroplasties: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

Background

The purpose of this study was to compare the patient-reported outcomes regarding joint awareness, function, and satisfaction after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Revision of Unicompartmental to Total Knee Arthroplasty: Does the Unicompartmental Implant (Metal-Backed vs All-Polyethylene) Impact the Total Knee Arthroplasty?

Background

The aim of this study is to investigate differences in implant requirement, outcomes, and re-revision when total knee arthroplasty (TKA) was performed following unicompartmental knee arthroplasties (UKAs) with metal-backed (MB) compared to all-polyethylene (AP) tibial components.

A Comprehensive Evaluation of Lateral Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty Short to Mid-Term Survivorship,and the Effect of Patient and Implant Characteristics: An Analysis of Data From the Dutch Arthroplasty Register

BackgroundThe rarity of lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) results in a lack of large cohort studies and understanding. The aim of this study is to comprehensively evaluate survivorship of lateral UKA with registry data and compare this to medial UKA.MethodsLateral (n = 537) and medial UKAs (n = 19,295) in 2007-2017 were selected from the Dutch Arthroplasty Register. Survival analyses were performed with revision for any reason as primary endpoint. Adjustments were made for patient and implant characteristics. Stratified analyses according to patient and implant characteristics were performed. Reasons and type of revision were grouped according to laterality and bearing design.ResultsThe 5-year revision rate was 12.9% for lateral UKA and 9.3% for medial UKA. Multivariable regression analyses showed no significant increased risk for revision for lateral UKA (hazard ratio 0.87, 95% confidence interval 0.66-1.15). Stratified analyses showed that the effect of patient characteristics on revision was comparable between lateral and medial UKA; however, the use of mobile-bearing design for lateral UKA was associated with increased revision rate. Progression of osteoarthritis was the main reason for revision on both sides accompanied by tibia component loosening for medial UKA. Reasons and type of revision varied depending on bearing design.ConclusionSimilar survivorship of lateral and medial UKA was reported. Specifically, there is a notable risk for revision when using mobile-bearing designs for lateral UKA. Failure modes and type of revision depends on laterality and bearing design. These findings emphasize that surgical challenges related to anatomy and kinematics of the lateral and medial knee compartment need to be considered.     

The influence of the femoral force application point on tibial cementing pressure in cemented UKA: an experimental study

Background

Aseptic loosening is the major cause for implant failure in cemented unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). Central positioning of the femoral pressure during the tibial cementation process is recommended to achieve equal pressure and a good cementation result. The aim of this study was to verify the central position of the femoral force application point (FFAP) at 45° flexion of the knee and to investigate the influence of ligament tension and cement penetration pressure (CPP) for UKA.

Materials and methods

Cemented Oxford UKAs were performed in 24 human legs. CPP and ligament tension forces (LTF) were measured. The FFAP was measured in a standardised manner in relation to the tibial implant length on lateral digital X-rays.

Results

The FFAP at 45° of knee flexion is located at 53.5?% and is not significantly different from the FFAP at 0° (p?=?0.768). The CPP shows mean values at the anterior portion of 13.97?kPa (SD 16.11), at the implant keel of 24.34?kPa (SD 25.21) and at the posterior portion of 36.58?kPa (SD 26.51). The LTF shows a mean value of 194.35?N (SD 83.77).

Conclusion

The central position of the FFAP for the investigated cemented UKA with single radius femoral component at 45° flexion of the knee could be confirmed. A flexion angle of <45° does not influence the position of the FFAP significantly. More than 45° of flexion should be avoided because the FFAP shifts backwards significantly and may cause increased pressures posteriorly and therefore tilting of the component occurs during the cementation process.     

Feasibility and safety of performing outpatient unicompartmental knee arthroplasty

Purpose

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has a faster short-term recovery than total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and safety of performing outpatient UKAs in a consecutive group of patients presenting with unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis.

Methods

A total of 105 consecutive patients underwent unicompartmental arthroplasty before noon with the intention of being discharged as an outpatient. All patients followed an established rapid recovery pathway to facilitate a same-day discharge. Post-operative complications and hospital readmissions were retrospectively recorded for all patients at one week and at three months after surgery.

Results

All of the 105 patients (100 %) indicated for outpatient UKA could be discharged home on the same day of surgery. No patients required readmission within the first week post-operatively, while one patient required readmission between week one and week 12. The single patient who required readmission developed a post-operative infection requiring irrigation/debridement with polyethylene liner exchange and intravenous antibiotics.

Conclusion

Using an established, multidisciplinary, rapid recovery protocol, outpatient UKA is safe and feasible in the vast majority of patients.