It is well known that total knee arthroplasty (TKA) does not preserve normal knee kinematics. This outcome has been attributed to alteration of soft-tissue balance and differences between the geometry of the implant design and the normal articular surfaces. Bicompartmental knee arthroplasty (BKA) has been developed to replace the medial and anterior compartments, while preserving the lateral compartment, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). In a previous study, we reported that unicompartmental knee arthroplasty did not significantly change knee kinematics and attributed that finding to a combination of preservation of soft-tissue balance and minimal alteration of joint articular geometry (Patil, JBJS, 2007). In the present study, we analyzed the effect of replacing trochlear surface in addition to the medial compartment by implanting cadaver knees with a bicompartmental arthroplasty design. Our hypothesis was that kinematics after BCKA will more closely replicate normal kinematics than kinematics after TKA. Eight human cadaveric knees underwent kinematic analysis with a surgical navigation system. Each knee was evaluated in its normal intact state, then after BKA with the Deuce design (Smith & Nephew, Memphis, TN), then after ACL sacrifice, and finally after implanting a PCL-retaining TKA (Legion, Smith & Nephew). Knees were tested on the Oxford knee rig, which simulates a quadriceps-driven dynamic deep knee bend. Tibiofemoral rollback and rotation and patellofemoral shift and tilt were recorded for each condition and compared using repeated measures ANOVA for significance.Introduction
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