Abstract
The purpose of this study was to establish the long-term clinical outcome of the Oxford Medial Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty (UKA).
Methods: A continuous series of 420 patients underwent medial Oxford UKA. Indications were anteromedial osteoarthritis with full thickness lateral compartment cartilage, a functioning anterior cruciate ligament and correctable varus deformity. Survival analysis with all cause revision as the endpoint was carried out for the entire group. At the time of this study 121 were still alive at 10 years and pre/post-operative 10-year clinical data had been prospectively recorded for them from which the AKS and HSS scores were calculated. Results: Seventeen patients required revision (4%) and the fifteen year survival rate was 94.3% (95% CI 85.6 - 100%). At ten years AKS and HSS scores were: AKSS (Knee) pre 30 / post 90, AKSS (Function): pre 42/ post 69 and HSS pre 56/ post 86. The differences were statistically significant (p< 0.01).
Discussion and Conclusion: We conclude that providing careful patient selection is maintained, meniscal bearing medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty has clinical and survival results comparable to modern total knee arthroplasty. The advantages of lower morbidity and earlier return to function, enhanced by the introduction of minimally invasive techniques may make this the treatment of choice for suitable patients with anteromedial osteoarthritis of the knee.
The abstracts were prepared by Mr Roger Smith. Correspondence should be addressed to him c/o British Orthopaedic Association, Royal College of Surgeons, 35-42 Lindoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PN.
