Does contralateral knee range of motion predict postoperative knee range of motion after total knee arthroplasty?

The aim of this study was to determine if contralateral knee range of motion is associated with postoperative range of motion in the operative knee after total knee arthroplasty.

Contralateral (nonoperative) knee range of motion was compared to postoperative knee range of motion after total knee arthroplasty using linear regression models in 59 patients who had undergone primary total knee arthroplasty with a minimum of 4 months postoperative follow-up data (range 4-13 months).

A strong linear relationship was observed between contralateral knee ranges of motion of 115° or greater and postoperative knee ranges of motion after total knee arthroplasty (slope 0.93, 95% CI 0.58-1.29, P < 0.0001), with a mean difference of -7.44° (95% CI -10.3 to -4.63, P < 0.0001). However, there was no association between contralateral knee range of motion and postoperative knee range of motion when contralateral knee range of motion was less than 115°.

Contralateral knee range of motion of 115° or greater correlates linearly with postoperative range of motion after total knee arthroplasty, and thus may be predictive in such cases.