Evolution of the low contact stress (LCS) complete knee system

The low contact stress knee design was one of the first designs to become widely available and popular for total knee arthroplasty. The low contact stress knee was initially designed to address wear due to high contact stresses seen in fixed-bearing designs. Today, nearly 30 years after its introduction, the technology behind the knee remains just as relevant. Many of the original innovations in early low contact stress knee systems are still in use today. New innovations, like a new instrument set and the advent of computer-assisted surgery, have added to the success of the technology. The history of this innovative design is discussed with special consideration given to the specific design principals that have improved the basic design over the past three decades.