Revision Risk for Total Knee Arthroplasty Polyethylene Designs in Patients 65 Years of Age or Older: An Analysis from the American Joint Replacement Registry

No Discernible Difference in Revision Rate or Survivorship Between Posterior Cruciate-Retaining and Posterior Cruciate-Substituting TKA

BACKGROUND

Many authors and the data of multiple registries have suggested that the use of posterior cruciate-substituting (posterior stabilized [PS]) total knee arthroplasty (TKA) leads to a higher risk of revision compared with the use of posterior cruciate-retaining (CR) TKA. The aim of the present prospective, randomized, long-term study was to compare PS and CR TKA with regard to the clinical, radiographic, and computed tomography (CT) results; the prevalence of osteolysis; revision rate; and survivorship.

METHODS

This study included a consecutive series of 300 patients (mean age [and standard deviation], 63.6 ± 6 years) who underwent simultaneous, bilateral TKA in the same anesthetic session. Each patient received a NexGen CR-Flex prosthesis on 1 side and a NexGen LPS-Flex prosthesis on the contralateral side. The mean follow-up period was 18 years (range, 17.5 to 19.5 years).

RESULTS

There were no significant differences between the NexGen CR and LPS-Flex TKA groups at the latest follow-up with regard to the mean Knee Society knee score (93 versus 92 points, respectively); the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score (19.1 points for both); the University of California Los Angeles activity score (6.1 points for both); range of motion (125° ± 6.1° versus 126° ± 6.5°); radiographic and CT results; and revision rate (6.0% versus 6.3%). No knee had osteolysis. The estimated survival rate at 19.5 years was 94% (95% confidence interval [CI], 91% to 100%) for the NexGen CR-Flex prosthesis and 93.7% (95% CI, 91% to 100%) for the LPS-Flex prosthesis, with revision or aseptic loosening as the end point.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of the present, long-term (minimum follow-up of 17.5 years) clinical study showed that NexGen CR-Flex and NexGen LPS-Flex implants produced excellent clinical and radiographic results. There was no notable clinical advantage of a NexGen CR-Flex implant over a NexGen LPS-Flex implant.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Biomechanical comparison of all-polyethylene total knee replacement and its metal-backed equivalent on periprosthetic tibia using the finite element method

BACKGROUND

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with all-polyethylene tibial (APT) components has shown comparable survivorship and clinical outcomes to that with metal-backed tibial (MBT). Although MBT is more frequently implanted, APT equivalents are considered a low-cost variant for elderly patients. A biomechanical analysis was assumed to be suitable to compare the response of the periprosthetic tibia after implantation of TKA NexGen APT and MBT equivalent.

METHODS

A standardised load model was used representing the highest load achieved during level walking. The geometry and material models were created using computed tomography data. In the analysis, a material model was created that represents a patient with osteopenia.

RESULTS

The equivalent strain distribution in the models of cancellous bone with an APT component showed values above 1000 με in the area below the medial tibial section, with MBT component were primarily localised in the stem tip area. For APT variants, the microstrain values in more than 80% of the volume were in the range from 300 to 1500 με, MBT only in less than 64% of the volume.

CONCLUSION

The effect of APT implantation on the periprosthetic tibia was shown as equal or even superior to that of MBT despite maximum strain values occurring in different locations. On the basis of the strain distribution, the state of the bone tissue was analysed to determine whether bone tissue remodelling or remodelling would occur. Following clinical validation, outcomes could eventually modify the implant selection criteria and lead to more frequent implantation of APT components.

Early- to Mid-Term Review of a Prospective, Multi-Center, International, Outcomes Study of an Anatomically Designed Implant with Posterior-Stabilized Bearing in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Background and Objectives: National joint registries report higher total knee arthroplasty (TKA) revision rates in posterior-stabilized (PS) systems compared to non-posterior-stabilized designs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the implant survivorship and clinical outcomes of an anatomic implant with a PS bearing. Materials and Methods: An early- to mid-term follow-up of a prospective, multi-center, non-controlled outcomes study of patients who received primary TKA between November 2014 and June 2017 was performed. A total of 800 cases using PS bearings that were implanted in 664 patients were monitored post-operatively for their implant survivorship and adverse events for up to five years. The Knee Society Knee and Function scores, patient satisfaction, the five-dimensional European Quality of Life questionnaire, and range of motion (ROM) were evaluated pre-operatively and post-operatively at six weeks, six months, one year, two years, three years, and five years. Results: The mean follow-up period was 3.7 ± 1.3 years, and the three-year implant survival rate was 99.3% (95% CI: 98.4%, 99.7%) with five revisions during the five-year follow-up. Patient satisfaction was 96.1% at six weeks and increased to 99.3% at one year. All patient-reported outcome measures significantly (p < 0.0001) increased up to the one-year follow-up and then remained stable up to the five-year follow-up. Conclusions: This study supports the excellent survivorship and patient-reported outcomes of the Persona® Knee system using cemented, fixed bearing, posterior-stabilized components with minimal complications at early- to mid-term follow-up in an international Asian population. Ongoing observations are being performed to investigate the mid- to long-term survivorship and clinical outcomes associated with this knee system.