Abstract
Purpose: This study analyses the kneeling ability of patients following Unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR), Patellofemoral replacement (PFR) and Total knee replacement (TKR).
Method: Data was prospectively collected on 272 knees (254 patients) that had undergone various forms of arthroplasty procedures for osteoarthritis of the knee. All patients completed the Oxford Knee Questionnaire preoperatively and 1 year postoperatively, thus graded their kneeling ability into one of 5 categories. Absolute values and change following arthroplasty were recorded. In addition the reported kneeling ability of 75 patients was checked by clinical examination.
Results: Preoperatively only 2% of all patients could kneel with PFR group being more able than the others (UKR 0%, TKR 0% and PFR 6%). In all groups the kneeling ability was better one year following replacement than preoperatively (23% of UKR, 18% of TKR and 9% of PFR) being able to kneel with little or no difficulty.
Conclusions: No form of arthroplasty used resulted in good kneeling ability, though this function was always improved particularly by UKR. Good range of movement and younger age appeared to correlate with better kneeling ability but many patients thought they had been told not to kneel and reported less ability than they demonstrated on examination. Instruction to avoid kneeling seems unnecessary.
The abstracts were prepared by Mr R. B. Smith. Correspondence should be addressed to him at the British Orthopaedic Association, Royal College of Surgeons, 35-43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PN.
