Bicompartmental knee replacement and patellar resurfacing. A prospective study with a minimum follow-up of ten years

We avoid routine patellar resurfacing during knee replacement because of the risk of major complications. We undertook a prospective study to evaluate the functional outcome of the patients who had no patellar resurfacing. Eleven patients (17 knees) who met the criteria for inclusion participated in the study. The preoperative diagnosis was osteoarthritis in all patients. A lateral retinacular release was performed when necessary. The knees were evaluated using the Hospital for Special Surgery knee scoring system. The mean follow-up was 10.5 years (range: 10 to 10.8 years). The average HSS score raised from 40 points to 83 points. The mean postoperative range of motion of the knee joint was 105 degrees. Postoperative radiographic evaluation revealed that there was no correlation between the integrity of the cartilage and the degree of pain. We concluded that patellar resurfacing is not a routine procedure in knee replacement when the diagnosis is osteoarthritis.