Long-term effects of cemented and cementless fixations of total knee arthroplasty: a meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Cementless Total Knee Arthroplasty: Does Age Affect Survivorship and Outcomes?

BACKGROUND

Despite the growing popularity of cementless total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in younger patients, the outcomes are unclear in the elderly population. We aimed to compare the clinical outcomes and survivorship of cementless TKA between different age groups.

METHODS

Utilizing our prospectively collected institutional database, we retrospectively reviewed all patients undergoing primary cementless TKAs at a tertiary care institute. We identified 347 TKA, which were divided into 3 groups based on age at the time of surgery. Group A was ≤ 60 years, Group B was 60 to ≤ 70 years, and Group C was > 70 years. We compared clinical outcomes (Knee Society Clinical Rating System [KSCRS], Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC], and Veterans Rand 12 Item Health Survey [VR-12]) and survivorship between the groups.

RESULTS

At final follow-up, range of motion, KSCRS, WOMAC, and VR-12 physical score were comparable (P > .05). The VR-12 Mental score was higher in Group B and Group C than in Group A (P = .003). Compared to preoperative scores, the change in KSCRS, WOMAC, and VR-12 physical and mental scores was comparable at the final follow-up (P > .05). No patient underwent revision for aseptic loosening.

CONCLUSIONS

There were no cases of revision surgery for aseptic loosening in our cohort of 347 cementless TKAs. Patients > 70 years of age undergoing cementless TKA can achieve clinical scores equivalent to those of younger patients at short term (2-year) follow-up. Longer-term survivorship is still required, but based on early data, cementless TKA can be a safe option for older patients.

Fostering Excellence in Knee Arthroplasty: Developing Optimal Patient Care Pathways and Inspiring Knowledge Transfer of Advanced Surgical Techniques

Osteoarthritis of the knee is common. Early sports trauma or cartilage defects are risk factors for osteoarthritis. If conservative treatment fails, partial or total joint replacement is often performed. A joint replacement aims to restore physiological biomechanics and the quality of life of affected patients. Total knee arthroplasty is one of the most performed surgeries in musculoskeletal medicine. Several developments have taken place over the last decades that have truly altered the way we look at knee arthroplasty today. Some of the fascinating aspects will be presented and discussed in the present narrative review.

Mechanical complications after total knee arthroplasty

INTRODUCTION

With the increasing demand for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and the burden of revision TKA on the healthcare system, as well as the quality of life implications for patients, it is extremely important for surgeons to be able to anticipate and prevent TKA mechanical complications. Surgeons must be familiar with the different causes and mechanisms of TKA complications so that they can properly treat patients with failed TKAs and better avoid these complications.

AREAS COVERED

This review addresses TKA mechanical complications and provides context for the topic. A detailed review of surgical factors, implant factors, and patient factors that contribute to mechanical complications after TKA is provided. All of the literature cited in this review was gathered from the PubMed online database using different keywords based on the section of the manuscript.

EXPERT OPINION

As surgeons and engineers solve certain issues in TKA, new challenges will inevitably arise. We must continue to push forward and innovate from both a surgical technique and implant design perspective.

No component loosening of a cementless deep dish rotating platform knee at a 5-year follow-up

PURPOSE

Cemented fixation remains the gold standard in total knee arthroplasty. With an increasing number of younger patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty and a growing patient population demanding higher physical activity, a rising interest in discussion of cementless fixation is notable. The current scientific literature does not give a clear recommendation for or against uncemented total knee arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was the investigation of the 5-year clinical and radiographic outcomes of a cementless deep-dish rotating platform implant.

METHODS

A total of 91 primary cementless total knee arthroplasties were included in this single-centre prospective observational study. The primary outcome was revision rate due to aseptic component loosening. Further outcome measures were assessment of the of the radiographic outcome as well as the clinical outcome based on Range of Motion and scores such as American Knee Society Score, Oxford Knee Score, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score and European Quality of Life 5 Dimension 3 Level at a follow-up of 5 years.

RESULTS

Mean age of the study population was 67.3 ± 6.6 years with 49.5% of the participants being female. Aseptic component loosening occurred in none of the patients. Implant survival with revision for any reason as endpoint was 97.8% (95% CI 100-96%) and 95.6% (95% CI 100-94%) with reoperation of any cause as endpoint. Radiolucent lines were detected in a total of eight cases (8.8%) and disappeared within the first year after surgery in five cases. Total Range of Motion improved significantly from 106° ± 15° preoperatively to 118° ± 10° at final FU (p < 0.001). All investigated scores improved significantly after total knee arthroplasty.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study reveal excellent mid-term performance of a cementless deep dish rotating platform total knee implant, with no component loosening, very low overall revision rate, only temporarily present radiolucent lines in a minority of patients and excellent clinical results. Therefore, cementless total knee arthroplasty is an appropriate treatment option for patients with severe osteoarthritis of the knee.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level II (prospective cohort study).

The Knee-Fix study: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial evaluating cemented and cementless components in total knee arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is an effective procedure for patients with a variety of knee conditions. The main cause of aseptic TKA failure is implant loosening, which has been linked to poor cement mantle quality. Cementless components were introduced to offer better longer-term biological fixation through osseointegration; however, early designs led to increased rate of revision due to a lack of initial press-fit and bony ingrowth. Newer highly porous metal designs may alleviate this issue but randomised data of fully uncemented TKA (tibial, femoral, patella) is lacking. The aim of the Knee-Fix study is to investigate the long-term implant survival and patient outcomes of fully uncemented compared with cemented fixation in TKA. Our study hypothesis was that uncemented TKA would be as clinically reliable and durable as the gold-standard cemented TKA.

METHODS

The Knee-Fix study is a two-arm, single-blinded, non-inferiority randomised controlled trial with 160 patients in each arm and follow-up at 6 weeks, 6 months, 12 months, 24 months, 5 years and 10 years. The primary outcome of interest is implant fixation, which will be measured by assessment of postoperative progressive radiolucencies with the Knee Society Total Knee Arthroplasty Roentgenographic Evaluation and Scoring System. Secondary outcome measures are patient-reported outcomes, measured using Oxford Knee Score (OKS), International Knee Society System (IKSS), Forgotten Joint Score-12 (FJS-12), EuroQol (EQ-5D-5L), VAS Pain, Patient Satisfaction Score and Net Promoter Score.

DISCUSSION

While cemented fixation remains the gold standard, a growing proportion of TKA are now implanted cementless. Highly porous metal cementless components for TKA can offer several benefits including potentially improved biological fixation; however, long-term outcomes need further investigation. This prospective study will help discern long-term differences between the two techniques.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12616001624471 . Registered trial name: Knee-Fix study (Cemented vs Uncemented Total Knee Replacement). Registered on 24 November 2016.

Epidural Anesthesia versus General Anesthesia for Total Knee Arthroplasty: Influences on Perioperative Cognitive Function and Deep Vein Thrombosis

Purpose

This research mainly discussed the impacts of epidural anesthesia (EA) and general anesthesia (GA) on perioperative cognitive function (CF) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods

One hundred and twenty-four patients undergoing TKA in our hospital between July 2015 and October 2021 were selected, of which 74 patients received EA (research group) and the other 50 patients received GA (control group). Perioperative CF, DVT, stress response indicators (norepinephrine, NE; cortisol, Cor), and heart rate (HR) levels were observed and compared. Risk factors affecting DVT of TKA patients were analyzed by logistic regression.

Results

The research group had statistically better CF than the control group, with notably lower NE, Cor, and HR levels and incidence of DVT. Logistic regression analysis showed that the type of anesthesia and MoCA were risk factors for DVT in TKA patients.

Conclusion

EA is more feasible for patients undergoing TKA, which is conducive to improving their CF, relieving stress responses, and reducing the incidence of DVT, with a certain sedative effect.

Dual-Energy CT-Based Bone Mineral Density Has Practical Value for Osteoporosis Screening around the Knee

Introduction: Adequate bone quality is essential for long term biologic fixation of cementless total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Recently, vertebral bone quality evaluation using dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) has been introduced. However, the DECT bone mineral density (BMD) in peripheral skeleton has not been correlated with Hounsfield units (HU) or central dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and the accuracy remains unclear. Materials and methods: Medical records of 117 patients who underwent TKA were reviewed. DXA was completed within three months before surgery. DECT was performed with third-generation dual source CT in dual-energy mode. Correlations between DXA, DECT BMD and HU for central and periarticular regions were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted and area under the curve (AUC), optimal threshold, and sensitivity and specificity of each region of interest (ROI) were calculated. Results: Central DXA BMD was correlated with DECT BMD and HU in ROIs both centrally and around the knee (all p < 0.01). The diagnostic accuracy of DECT BMD was higher than that of DECT HU and was also higher when the T-score for second lumbar vertebra (L2), rather than for the femur neck, was used as the reference standard (all AUC values: L2 > femur neck; DECT BMD > DECT HU, respectively). Using the DXA T-score at L2 as the reference standard, the optimal DECT BMD cut-off values for osteoporosis were 89.2 mg/cm3 in the distal femur and 78.3 mg/cm3 in the proximal tibia. Conclusion: Opportunistic volumetric BMD assessment using DECT is accurate and relatively simple, and does not require extra equipment. DECT BMD and HU are useful for osteoporosis screening before cementless TKA.

The role of hydroxyapatite coating in joint replacement surgery - Key considerations

The use of a porous hydroxyapatite (HA) coating has definitively increased the durability and biocompatibility of joint replacement prostheses (JRP) since its introduction. This article will contextualise the properties of porous HA and relate these characteristics to its clinical function. Novel strategies to encourage osseointegration will also be explored, alongside their clinical relevance. All major literature databases were scrutinised for literature relevant to the scope of our review. The role of Hydroxyapatite was evaluated, alongside further strategies to augment bone ingrowth. HA coatings remain the most optimal coating for widespread clinical use. Advantages are conferred due to the method of application, the tribology and the biocompatibility of the material. Further strategies are available to augment bone ingrowth, pertaining to biological modifications and implantation of external factors. An evaluation of the literature has described the relative long term performance of the HA coated JRPs both in isolation and when compared with cemented prosthesis. Metanalyses have shown HA coated JRPs to perform as well as cemented prosthesis in terms of survivability over both short and long term follow ups. Concerning strategies to augment osseointegration, consideration should be given to form and function of the coating surface, as this provides the basis for cell adherence, proliferation, and differentiation.

Sensor-guided gap balance versus manual gap balance in primary total knee arthroplasty: a meta-analysis

Background

Despite Vast improvements in technology and surgical technique in total knee arthroplasty (TKA), approximately 15–25% TKAs, have suboptimal subjective clinical outcomes. Our study sought to evaluate if sensor-guided balancing improves postoperative clinical outcomes compared to a conventional gap balancing technique.

Methods

We searched Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Cochrane Library, Highwire, CBM, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang database in March 2022 to identify studies involving sensor-guided balancing versus conventional gap balancing technique in TKA. Finally, we identified 2147 knees assessed in nine studies.

Results

Compared with manual gap balancing, Sensor-guided gap balancing resulted in less rate of Manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) (P = 0.02), however more rate of intraoperative additional procedures (P = 0.0003). There were no significant differences in terms of KSS (P = 0.21), KSS Function score (P = 0.36), OKS (P = 0.61), KOOS (P = 0.78), operative time (P = 0.17), Mechanical axis (P = 0.69) and rate of reoperation between two groups.

Conclusion

Compared with conventional manual gap balancing techniques, sensors have more balancing procedures being performed. However, it did result in a reduction in the rate of MUA. More extensive, high-quality RCTs are required to verify our findings further.