Patelloplasty versus traditional total knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis

The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical effects of patelloplasty and traditional patellar management in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for osteoarthritis. A total of 152 patients with osteoarthritis treated with TKA between January 2004 and December 2005 were retrospectively studied. The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups: the patelloplasty group (group A; n=76) and the traditional treatment group (group B; n=76). Knee Society Score (KSS), Feller patellar score, Lonner patellar score, patient satisfaction, joint range of motion (ROM), and incidence of postoperative anterior knee pain were compared between the groups. Mean follow-up was 55 months (range, 48-71 months) for 132 patients, including 68 patients in group A and 64 in group B. Significant differences were found in KSS functional score, Feller patellar score, Lonner patellar score, and patient satisfaction, but no significant differences were found in ROM and total KSS score between the groups postoperatively. Group A obtained higher KSS scores and patient satisfaction than group B, with no significant difference in postoperative anterior knee pain. Postoperative radiographs revealed a significant difference in patellofemoral congruence between the groups. Patelloplasty relieves pain, enhances patient satisfaction, and improves function better than traditional patellar management in TKA with patellar nonresurfacing.