A painful osteoarthritic knee in a young patient presents a therapeutic dilemma. Non-operative modalities, such as physical therapy, modification of activities to limit those that involve impact, and anti-inflammatory medications often provide only limited and temporary benefit. Operative options include arthroscopic debridement, arthrodesis, proximal tibial osteotomy, and uni-compartmental or total knee replacement. Total knee replacement has generally been reserved for patients who are at least sixty years old because of the potential for numerous revision operations in the course of a lifetime.

Mobile bearing total knee arthroplasty systems is emerging as the next wave of development in knee joint prosthetic reconstruction. The mobile bearing allows very high conformity between articulating surfaces on both sides of the polyethylene insert. The forces involved in these highly conforming articulations are very low, well below the theoretical yield point of the polyethylene bearing surface. Because the bearing is mobile, the interface between components and bone is protected from excess shear stress, therefore protecting the fixation.

The main concern of this prospective study was to determine the clinical, radiographic and functional results of Rotaglide mobile-bearing total knee arthroplasty in young active patients who were fifty-nine years old or less at time of the arthroplasty. We evaluate medium-long term results and survivorship of 81 patients who have their total knee replacement implanted for at least 3 years in Birmingham Heartlands & Solihull Hospital (UK), using Rotaglide total knee replacement (Corin).

The average follow-up of 7.3 years was reported in this prospective study with range of 3 – 12 years. The average age at the primary operation was 50.7 years with range of 37 – 58 years. The knee scores are satisfactory with an average of 195.6 points using IKSS and 14.6 using OKS. The average postoperatively range of motion was 126.2 with range of 95 – 130 degree. The radiological assessment of the X-ray in AP and lateral views show that both the femoral and tibial components well aligned with no radiolucent lines.

We conclude from this prospective study that Rota-glide mobile-bearing total knee arthroplasty in patient 59 years or younger is a reliable procedure with excellent results at medium-long term follow-up, with an estimated survivorship of 98 percent at 12 years.