Excellent mid-term follow-up for a new 3D-printed cementless total knee arthroplasty

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Biomaterials engineering
• Medical device technology

Background:

• Cementless total knee arthroplasty (TKA) aims for biological fixation, contrasting with cemented TKA's mechanical fixation.
• Limited mid-term data exists for novel cementless TKA designs utilizing additive manufacturing (3D printing).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the mid-term clinical outcomes and implant survivorship of the cementless Stryker Triathlon Tritanium TKA.
• To assess the efficacy of 3D-printed technology in cementless knee arthroplasty.

Main Methods:

• A single-institution registry review of 341 cementless Triathlon Tritanium TKAs with 4 to 6.8 years of follow-up.
• Pre- and postoperative Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Replacement (KOOS JR) and Veterans RAND/Short Form Health Survey (VR/SF-12) scores were compared.
• Revision for any reason and aseptic loosening were primary endpoints for survivorship analysis.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in mean KOOS JR scores (33.14 to 84.12) and VR/SF-12 physical and mental health scores were observed (p < 0.001).
• Overall revision rate was 2.94% (11 revisions), including infection, loosening, instability, and pain.
• Overall survivorship reached 97.06%, with 98.40% survivorship for aseptic loosening and 99.5% for the 3D-printed tibial component.

Conclusions:

• The 3D-printed cementless total knee system exhibits excellent mid-term survivorship.
• This cementless fixation design shows potential for superior long-term durability in total knee replacements.