The Medium-Term Survival Analysis of an All-Polyethylene Tibia in a Single-Series Cohort of Over 1000 Knees

BackgroundTotal knee arthroplasty is a successful elective orthopedic procedure with an increasing number being undertaken. Original knee arthroplasties used an all-polyethylene tibia; however, with concerns over tibial loosening, the trend moved toward the metal-backed variety. Modern designs providing more conformity and changes in manufacturing of the polyethylene make it an equivalent but cheaper option.MethodsWe analyzed the medium-term outcome in 1092 patients with an all-polyethylene tibial component in their total knee arthroplasty.ResultsTwenty-six patients had further surgery on their knee for a variety of reasons. Assessing reoperation for any reason, the 7-year survival rate was 96.96% with an overall infection rate of 0.37%. Seven-year survival analysis using aseptic loosening as a criteria was 99.28%. Both the Short Form 12 physical score and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score significantly improved and was sustained at 7 years. Body mass did not correlate to either outcomes or complications.ConclusionAn all-polyethylene tibia in a total knee arthroplasty has good outcome data and high patient satisfaction with good survivorship in the medium term, coupled with potential cost-saving benefits.