Evolving etiologies and rates of revision total knee arthroplasty: a 10-year institutional report

The number of total knee arthroplasties (TKA) performed in the United States is projected to rise significantly, with a proportionate increase in the revision burden. Understanding the mechanism of failure in primary TKA is important as etiologies continue to evolve and reasons for revision change. The purpose of this study was to determine the reason for revision TKA at our institution among early and late failures and assess if the etiology has changed over a 10-year time-period.

We identified 258 revision TKAs performed at our institution between 2005 and 2014. Reasons for revision TKA were categorized according to diagnosis. We also conducted subgroup analysis for TKA revisions performed within two years of the primary TKA (early failures) and those performed after two years (late failures). Revision TKAs were also grouped by year of primary TKA (before and after 2000) and time period in which the revision TKA was performed (2005-2009 and 2010-2014).

The most common reason for revision TKA was infection (29.3%), followed by aseptic loosening (19.7%), which together accounted for half of all revisions. Other indications for revision were instability (11.6%), osteolysis (10.4%), arthrofibrosis (8.1%), polyethylene (PE) wear (7.7%), malalignment/malposition (5.4%), patellar complication (3.1%), periprosthetic fracture (2.3%), pain (1.5%), and extensor mechanism deficiency (0.8%). Nearly half of early failures (47%) were due to infection. Osteolysis and PE wear made of a significantly higher proportion of revisions of TKAs performed prior to 2000 compared to index TKAs performed after 2000.

At our institution, infection was the most common reason for revision TKA. Infection had a higher rate of early revisions. Proportion of TKAs revised for osteolysis and PE wear was higher for TKAs performed prior to 2000. Proportion of revision TKA for infection and instability were higher with TKAs performed after 2000.