[Total knee arthroplasty today: what should we tell our patients?]

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains the preferred treatment for patients with invalidating osteoarthritis. It allows these patients to find once again a satisfactory quality of life. These results are reflected by the increasing number of interventions performed each year and in always younger patients. The objective of this review of the scientific literature was to determine the long-term quantitatively and qualitatively results of TKA and determine the parameters which could influence the long-term outcome. There does not seem to be any clear arguments in favor of one type of implant or surgical technique. One also notices that TKA in females and older patients seem to have longer lifespan, estimated to approximately 15 years. The most frequent complication remains aseptic loosening followed by infections.