All-poly tibial component better than metal-backed: a randomized RSA study

The quality of the fixation of the tibial component in 21 patients (23 knees) undergoing a cemented total-knee arthroplasty of the Profix design was investigated using radiostereometric analysis during 24 months. The patients were randomized to either an all-polyethylene (AP) or a metal-backed (MB) tibial component. The articulating geometry and the stem design of the implants were identical, as were the operative technique and the postoperative regimen. The results showed no negative consequences as regards fixation using AP tibial components. In all aspects, the AP components displayed magnitudes of migration on par with, or sometimes even lower than their MB counterparts. Five of 11 MB components displayed continuous migration between 1 and 2 years, compared to none of the AP implants, a finding known to be of positive prognostic significance when predicting future aseptic loosening.