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In Vitro Application of a Wireless Sensor in Flexion-Extension Gap Balance of Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty
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Symptomatic flexion instability in posterior stabilized primary total knee arthroplasty
Orthopedics
|October 29, 2014
Summary
Flexion instability after total knee replacement is manageable with revision surgery. Careful gap balancing and specific implant adjustments successfully improved patient outcomes and reduced instability symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Flexion instability is an uncommon complication of posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty.
- It is often underdiagnosed and can significantly impact patient function and pain levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the management strategy for isolated flexion instability after posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty.
- To assess the outcomes of revision surgery for this specific complication.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 19 knees undergoing revision for isolated flexion instability.
- Surgical interventions included complete revision, femoral revision with a thicker insert, or isolated tibial polyethylene insert exchange.
- Knee Society scores were used for pre- and post-operative assessment of pain and function.
Main Results:
- All patients reported improvement in instability symptoms and signs post-revision.
- Mean Knee Society scores significantly improved after surgical management.
- Revision surgery, particularly with careful gap balancing, demonstrated success.
Conclusions:
- Revision surgery is effective for managing isolated flexion instability in posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty.
- Isolated tibial polyethylene insert exchange can be a viable option in select cases, provided component alignment is confirmed and appropriate inserts are used.
