Maximum flexion and lateral rollback revealed better patient satisfaction after total knee arthroplasty

Patient satisfaction is an important outcome of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, we cannot predict how and why patients are satisfied or dissatisfied with TKA. The hypothesis of this study was that patient-reported outcomes (PROs) correlate with in vivo kinematics after TKA.

One hundred knees were analyzed after TKA. The in vivo kinematics of deep knee bending motion were estimated from single-plane fluoroscopy using a two-to-three-dimensional registration technique. Active knee flexion, femoral rotation and rollback were evaluated. The PROs were obtained after surgery using the 2011 Knee Society Scoring System (KSS), and their relationship with in vivo kinematics was determined.

The average minimum and maximum flexion were -2.4 ± 7.3° and 113.2 ± 13.6°, respectively. The average femoral rotation was 7.4 ± 3.4°, and the average medial and lateral rollback were 2.4 ± 4.8 mm and 7.2 ± 5.6 mm, respectively. The multiple regression analysis revealed that the maximum flexion angle significantly contributed to symptoms and satisfaction. In addition, lateral rollback was also a significant factor affecting patient satisfaction. Lateral rollback and lateral Anterior-Posterior (AP) position at maximum flexion were correlated with the maximum flexion angle, whereas femoral rotation did not correlate with flexion angles.

Maximum flexion and lateral rollback are important for better patient satisfaction after TKA. To obtain the maximum flexion angle, it was necessary to perform the normal kinematic pattern with a large amount of lateral rollback.