Total knee replacement for patellofemoral disease.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Isolated end-stage patellofemoral disease presents unique challenges in knee arthroplasty.
• Assessing the impact of bone loss and patellar instability is crucial for surgical planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the technical outcomes of total knee replacement (TKR) in patients with isolated patellofemoral disease.
• To determine if the degree of bone loss or patellar subluxation influences TKR results.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 33 TKRs in 25 patients with isolated patellofemoral osteoarthritis.
• All patients received cemented tri-compartmental knee replacements with patellar resurfacing.
• Average follow-up was 5.2 years, with outcomes assessed using Knee Society Scores.

Main Results:

• Significant improvement in Knee Society Scores from 62 preoperatively to 96 postoperatively.
• No statistically significant correlation was found between surgical outcomes and the amount of patellar wear, patellar size, or degree of patellar subluxation.
• All patellae were successfully resurfaced.

Conclusions:

• Total knee replacement is a highly effective treatment for end-stage isolated patellofemoral arthritis.
• Surgical outcomes are favorable regardless of preoperative bone loss or patellar instability.
• TKR provides excellent functional recovery and pain relief for this patient group.