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Published on: May 5, 2023
Effect of lower limb alignment on outcome after lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: a retrospective study
Tong Zheng1,2, Dehua Liu1,2, Ziyue Chu1,2
1Department of Orthopaedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250102, China.
Purpose:
The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between lower limb alignment and patient outcomes after lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (LUKA).
Methods:
In this retrospective study, the information of 51 patients who underwent lateral UKA was collected after an average of 27months of follow-up (13 to 60 months). Evaluation indicators include the AKS and WOMAC score. The Kellgren-Lawrence grade is used to evaluate the severity of osteoarthritis, while the hip-knee-ankle (HKA) angle is utilized to measure the valgus angle of lower limb alignment.
Result:
Patients with postoperative valgus (≥ 3°) alignment had the best outcomes, while those with varus (≤-3°) alignment had the worst outcomes (p < 0.001). Furthermore, it was noted that patients with preoperative mild valgus (≤ 4°) alignment had worse postoperative outcomes than those with severe valgus (≥ 7°) alignment (p < 0.05). The study also revealed a positive correlation between postoperative valgus and WOMAC scores (p < 0.001), whereas a negative correlation was observed between the change in valgus angle and WOMAC scores (p = 0.005).
Conclusion:
During follow-ups, we found that lower limb alignment seems to be an independent predictor of postoperative outcomes. It is recommended that more than 3° of valgus alignment should be maintained after LUKA. Surgeons performing lateral UKA should be cautious of overcorrecting alignment, particularly in patients with preoperative mild valgus alignment.
