Radiographic Evaluations of Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Plea for Uniform Assessments

Thorough radiographic evaluation is necessary for perioperative assessments in revision total knee arthroplasty. There has been a large degree of variability in reporting these findings within the peer-reviewed literature. Our purpose was to evaluate studies that radiographically assessed alignment in the coronal and sagittal plane, patella alignment and thickness, presence and characterization of implant interface, and radiolucency. Secondly, we reviewed studies using a standardized reporting system to evaluate radiographic findings (the Knee Society Roentgenographic Evaluation and Scoring System) and the number of times it was referenced. Only 62% of studies evaluated all radiographic parameters, 57% to 91% assessed each metric, and 55% used standardized reporting systems. This emphasizes the need for a uniform evaluation method to ensure consistent radiographic assessment and optimal standard of care.