Purpose

Although the use of stems in revision total knee arthroplasty (RTKA) enhances survival by improving the stability of implant, questions as to the optimal fixation method as well as the vertical extent of the cement, remain unanswered. This study aimed 1) to determine the correlation between the vertical extent of cement and implant loosening; and 2) to determine the minimum cementing extent for a stable implant in revision TKA with a hybrid technique.

Over the past twenty years, the Low Contact Stress Rotating Platform (LCS RP) showed good results. Buechel and Pappas invented the Buechel-Pappas Knee (B-P Knee) system that is a modified version of the LCS system with different material (titanium), axial rotation limiting bar and improved conformity. The purpose of this prospective randomized study was to compare the 2-year clinical outcomes between two implants in the same patients who had been operated with bilateral TKAs. We prospectively enrolled 107 patients and 18 patients were lost to follow-up. Therefore, 89 patients (178 knees; mean age, 69.8±6.0years) were included in the study. The range of motion and clinical scores such as Knee Society score (KSS), Hospital for Special Surgery score (HSS) and Western Ontario and McMaster University (WOMAC) scores were measured preoperatively and postoperatively. At each follow-up, patients also complete a Likert scale questionnaire regarding subjective pain, lightness, left-right side preference (naturalness and satisfaction) and subjective instability. There were no significant differences in all preoperative variables between the two groups(P<.05). Mean follow-up period was 29.9±7.2 months. At the 2-year follow-up, mean value of flexion contracture, further flexion and range of motion were not significantly different between both groups. Also, there were no significant differences in the clinical scores and in side to side difference for the feeling of laterality between two groups(P<.05). After minimum 2-year follow-up, we found no differences in early clinical outcomes as well as subjective side to side difference between the LCS RP and B-P Knee system in this study.