Outcomes of isolated patellofemoral arthroplasty

Osteoarthritis of the patellofemoral compartment can cause significant functional impairment. Isolated patellofemoral osteoarthritis affects greater than 10% of males and females over the age of 60. Patellofemoral arthroplasty (PFA) was developed as a joint-preserving procedure that maintains natural knee kinematics in those with isolated patellofemoral disease. First-generation implants were fraught with complications, a high rate of revision, and early conversion to total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Second-generation implants have demonstrated significant improvements in patient-reported outcome measures, complication rates and implant survivorship. Factors that can affect outcomes include surgical indications, patient selection, and PFA prosthesis design. Modern PFA for isolated patellofemoral osteoarthritis has comparable outcomes to TKA for isolated patellofemoral osteoarthritis. In this article, we discuss the use of PFA, implant design, the indications and factors affecting outcomes, and comparison to TKA.