Abstract
Between February 2000 and August 2002, 60 Oxford unicompartment knee replacements were done on 51 patients, nine of whom had bilateral surgery. The mean age of patients, 82% of whom were women, was 66 years (45 to 83). Primary osteoarthritis was the pathology in 97% and post-traumatic arthritis in 3%.
A full radiological assessment was done to determine positioning of the prostheses as well as the interfaces. The mean range of movement increased from 113° pre-operatively to 120° at the most recent follow-up. Complications included one case of deep venous thrombosis, one patient with bilateral tibial component loosening and three patients with loose cement particles in the joint. Most patients have no pain, but some have mild or occasional pain. One patient with bilateral unicompartmental replacements now has lateral knee pain.
Unicompartment knee replacements are an alternative to total knee replacements, but there is a significant learning curve, particularly with regard to cementing techniques. Attention needs to be paid to removing all loose cement from the joint. Patient selection is critical. The complication rate remains low, however, and the results seem satisfactory.
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.
