Spherocentric arthroplasty of the knee. A long-term and final follow-up evaluation

The spherocentric knee was designed as an intrinsically stable prosthesis to manage the problems of deformity, instability, and metaphyseal bone loss in joints too severely involved to use resurfacing arthroplasty. Follow-up information has been obtained on 58 of the first 82 knees requiring spherocentric arthroplasty. After an average eight-year followup period, the results are gratifying with respect to pain, ambulatory ability, deformity, and instability. The infection and reoperation rates of 5% and 15% seem satisfactory when one considers the severely disabled patient and pathologic conditions of the knee joint.