A Comparison of 5 Models of Total Knee Arthroplasty in Young Patients

Several different total knee implants were introduced in an attempt to potentially improve outcomes of total knee arthroplasty in young patients. The object of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of 5 models of total knee implants.

We compared 172 patients who received posterior substituting knee implants with an average 13.2-year follow-up, 182 patients who received high-flex knees with an average 11.8-year follow-up, 190 patients who received mobile-bearing knees with an average 13.9-year follow-up, 170 patients who received gender-specific knees with an average 10.8-year follow-up, and 192 patients who received oxidized zirconium knees with an average 13.5-year follow-up. There were 186 men and 720 women (mean age, 53.3 years; range, 40-60). The mean follow-up was 12.6 years.

We found similar postoperative Knee Society knee and function scores (P = .693 and P = .698, respectively), postoperative Western Ontario MacMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score (P = .523), University of California, Los Angeles activity score (P = .651) and range of knee motion (P = .417), radiographic results (P > .05), revision rates (P = .241), and survivorship (P = .981) of the implants.

Range of knee motion, prevalence of polyethylene wear, osteolysis, revision rates, and survivorship of 5 models of total knee arthroplasties were similar. We believe that good designs with a good quality of polyethylene and defined surgical techniques provided good clinical and radiographic outcomes of these 5 models of total knee arthroplasties at this length of follow-up.