Ceramic coating improves tibial component fixation in total knee arthroplasty

Forty uncemented total knee arthroplasties (36 patients) were randomly allocated to a Miller-Galante II prosthesis with or without hydroxyapatite/tricalcium phosphate (HA/TCP) coating on the titanium fiber mesh on the undersurface of the tibial component. The patients were followed for 2 years with repeated radiostereometric examinations. After 2 years, the HA/TCP tibial components displayed smaller anterior-posterior tilt and less subsidence. The mean value of maximal total point motion was small: 0.5 mm in both groups. At 24 months, there were more radiolucent lines under the tibial tray and around the stem in the uncoated group, but the clinical results did not differ. HA/TCP coating on the undersurface of the tibial component improved the stability and seemed to improve the quality of the interface between the tibial component and the bone.