Twenty-year survivorship of a cemented mobile bearing Total Knee Arthroplasty

Increasing numbers of Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) operations are carried out worldwide each year. This brings with it an ever-increasing revision burden and it is therefore important to appreciate both the functional outcome and survivorship of established arthroplasties when considering new designs. We aim to evaluate the long-term survivorship of a fully cemented mobile bearing Total Knee Arthroplasty.

This study prospectively analyses the 20-year survivorship of a cohort of 487 consecutive patients who underwent cemented TKA under the care of a single surgeon using the Low Contact Stress (LCS) rotating platform (RP) implant. These patients were followed up prospectively with patient reported and functional outcomes recorded at regular intervals postoperatively.

Five hundred and forty-two consecutive primary TKAs were carried out in 487 patients. A total of 139 knees (25.6%) were reviewed at 20 years post-operation. Overall cumulative survivorship, using revision for any reason as primary endpoint, was 98.0%. Mean Knee Society Scores for the patient cohort were 87.3 (Clinical score) and 52.5 (Functional score). Eleven (2.0%) were revised within 20 years - two for aseptic loosening, two for unexplained pain, five secondary patellar resurfacings for anterior knee pain, one for late infection and one liner exchange following spin-out.

This series demonstrates excellent survivorship and satisfactory outcome of a cemented mobile bearing TKA at 20 years.