Tibial component overhang in total knee replacement: incidence and functional outcomes

The aim of this study was to quantify the incidence and severity of tibial component overhang in total knee replacement and find any relationship between overhang and functional outcome. 532 anteroposterior radiographs of total knee replacements were reviewed retrospectively to identify medial or lateral overhang of the tibial component. Patients completed an Oxford knee score (OKS) questionnaire at mean follow-up of 36 months. Overhang of the tibial component was noted in 13.4% of patients with a mean OKS of 353. Severity of overhang did not correlate with OKS. Overhang of the tibial component is common. However, in this study it was not associated with a worse than expected outcome and increasing severity did not correlate with worse functional scores.