Abstract
Anterior knee pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) occurs in 5% to 30% of patients whether or not the patella has been resurfaced. We retrospectively reviewed our patients, none of whom underwent patellar resurfacing. Only 2% had anterior knee pain, none requiring revision surgery. Our follow-up was between two and five years.
We paid particular attention to removing osteophytes and conducting a thorough peripatellar synovectomy and a circumpatellar cautery denervation.
Our results compare favourably to those in the literature, whether or not the patellae were resurfaced. We conclude that patellar resurfacing in TKA is unnecessary when careful attention is paid to the peripatellar tissues.
The abstracts were prepared by Professor M.B.E. Sweet. Correspondence should be addressed to him at PO Box 47363, Parklands, Johannesburg 2121, South Africa.
