Who Fails? Identifying Risks for Aseptic Loosening After Cementless Total Knee Arthroplasty

Cementless total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is increasingly used in younger, active patients, yet aseptic loosening remains a leading cause of failure. While biomechanical factors have been explored, large-scale data identifying patient- and surgery-specific risk factors are limited. This study aimed to identify independent predictors of aseptic loosening in cementless TKA.

We queried a national insurance claims database for adults who underwent uncemented TKA from 2010 to 2022 with ≥ two years of follow-up. Demographic, clinical, and intraoperative variables were compared between patients who had and did not have aseptic loosening in a cohort of 26,651 cases (mean age 64 years; 56.5% women; mean Charlson Comorbidity Index 1.9. In total, 1,063 patients (4.0%) developed aseptic loosening within two years. Multivariable logistic regressions identified independent risk factors.

Multivariable regressions showed increased risk of aseptic loosening with younger age (odds ratio (OR), 1.01, P = 0.014), higher Charlson Comorbidity Index(OR, 1.04, P = 0.027), osteoporosis (OR, 1.41, P < 0.001), rheumatoid arthritis (OR, 1.22, P = 0.029), depression (OR, 1.27, P < 0.001), anemia (OR, 1.38, P < 0.001), corticosteroid use (OR, 1.39, P = 0.024), and preoperative arthroscopy (OR, 1.56, P < 0.001). Computer navigation assistance (OR, 0.46, P < 0.001) and bisphosphonate use (OR, 0.39, P = 0.024) were protective.

Aseptic loosening after cementless TKA is influenced by patient comorbidities and perioperative factors, such as osteoporosis, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, and prior arthroscopy, while bisphosphonate use and computer navigation appear protective against loosening. Despite limitations inherent to retrospective claims data, these findings highlight the importance of preoperative risk stratification and individualized care.