Differences in the sizes of femoral and tibial components between females and males, between osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and between measured bone resection and the gap control technique during TKA were assessed. 500 PS-TKAswith the Stryker NRG system in 408 cases were assessed. There were 83 male knees and 417 female knees, and 472 OA knees and 28 RA knees. This study was performed in Japan, and almost all OA knees had varus deformities. In each case, the sizes of the femoral and tibial components were measured on radiographs. The measured sizes represented those of the measured bone resection. TKA was performed by the gap control technique using a tensor/balancer with 30 inch-pounds expansion strength, and the sizes of the femoral and tibial components (used size) were recorded.Purpose:
Method:
Following total knee arthroplasty (TKA), some patients show patella baja. It is possible that patella baja after posterior stabilized (PS)-type TKA causes the patellar clunk syndrome and limitation of flexion. The purpose of this study was to examine patellar height before and after PS-type TKA and identify the factors related to the change in patellar height. Lateral X-ray films were taken at 90 degrees flexion before and after TKA using fluoroscopy in 87 patients (95 knees) (Fig. 1a, b). The components and surgical technique for TKA were Scorpio NRG (Stryker) and the modified gap control technique, respectively. The Insall-Salvati ratio (ISR) and the Labelle-Laurin method (LL) were measured as parameters of patellar height (Fig. 1c, d). Posterior condylar offset (PCO) (Fig. 1e), the distance from the anterior femoral line to the tibial tuberosity (TA), and the distance from the tibial tuberosity to the posterior condyle of the femur [TP; {TA-F (the length of the femoral condyle)}] (Fig. 1f) were examined as parameters that could be associated with the change in patellar height. All parameters were divided by patellar length to compensate for the expansion rate in each photograph. The mean LL/P, PCO/P, TA/P, and TP/P before TKA were set at 100%.Introduction
Methods
In varus knee, posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) release has been reported to result in the increase of the flexion gap without significant effect on the extension gap. However, the effect of release on gap angle is still obscure. On the other hand, gap angle and distance measured with the tension devices may vary due to different distraction forces. In this study, difference of gap angle and distance before and after PCL resection in knee extension and 90° flexion was inspected. Effect of different distraction force on gap was also assessed. Fifty cases with medial osteoarthritis undergoing PS-TKA were included in the study. PCL of all the cases were identified intact before resection.INTRODUCTION:
OBJECTIVES:
Reliability of a gap control technique with the tensor/balancer during PS-TKA was assessed by means of fluoroscopic images after TKA. Thirty-one subjects were selected for assessment. The mean age of the subjects was 73.0 years old. During PS-TKA, a parapatellar approach was used. Cruciate ligaments were excised, and distal femoral and proximal tibial cuts were made. After all osteophytes were removed, the joint gap angle and distance were measured in full extension and at 90° flexion using a tensor/balancer. Medial soft tissue releases were performed and soft tissue balancing was obtained in full extension so that the joint gap angle was 3° or less than 3°. The joint gap angle and distance between femoral and tibial cut surfaces in full extension, and between a tangent to the posterior femoral condyles and tibial cut surface at 90° flexion were measured. The external rotation angle of the anterior and posterior cuts of the femur was decided based on the joint gap angle at 90° flexion. The size of the femoral component was decided based on the joint gap distance in full extension and at 90° flexion. Then only the trial femoral component was inserted. The joint gap angle and distance between the tangent to the condyles of the trial femoral component and tibial cut surface in full extension and at 90° flexion were measured. More than one month after TKA, the fluoroscopic images of the prostheses were taken during knee extension/flexion. Then, a torque of about 5 Nm was applied to the lower leg in order to assess the varus/valgus flexibility during flexion. The pattern matching method was used to measure the 3D movements of the prostheses from the fluoroscopic images. The joint gap angle was calculated in full extension and at 90° flexion. The varus/valgus flexibility at each flexion angle was also assessed.Introduction
Methods
Routinely in TKA, at least one of the cruciate ligaments are sacrificed. The cruciate ligaments excision may have an impact in the stability of the reconstructed knee by virtue of the impact on the gap kinematics. In this study, a selective cutting protocol was designed to quantify the individual contribution of ACL and PCL about the knee by means of a loaded cadaveric model. Five fresh frozen normal cadaver specimens were used. The femur was fixed to a specially designed machine, and 3D tibial movements relative to the femur and joint gap distances were measured by means of a navigation system from full extension to 140° flexion. The joint was distracted with 10 pounds. The measurement was performed before and after ACL and PCL excision. Medial gap distance at 90° flexion before and after cruciate ligaments excision was 4.3 ± 2.7 mm (mean ± SD) and 5.1 ± 2.8 mm (p<
0.05) respectively. Cruciate ligaments excision significantly widened the medial and lateral gaps at many flexion angles, and the effect of excision on the gap distance was different between medial and lateral sides especially at 90° knee flexion. Cruciate ligaments excision also significantly influenced knee kinematics. If this varying gap is not accounted for either through implant shape and orientation or through soft tissue adjustments, instability could be the result. Surgeons should be made aware of the influence of cruciate excision on varus/valgus laxity throughout the range of motion. Design modification of the femoral component may also be necessary in order to obtain optimal stability in deep flexion.
Posterior stabilized (PS) type knee prosthesis characterized by Post-Cam structure as stabilizer has successfully been used in TKA worldwide, while failure and fracture problems of tibial insert made from polymeric material (UHMNWPE) are still important issues from clinical and mechanical points of view. It is therefore needed to understand the mechanical conditions of the tibial insert under different kinds of TKA motions. The aim of this study is to characterize the mechanical condition of tibial insert under contact between femoral component and tibia insert during flexional motion using dynamic 3-D finite element (FE) method. 3-D FE models of two different kinds of PS type prostheses clinically used were developed and stress analyses were performed from full extension to 135 degree knee flexion. Effects of the different Post-Cam structures on the stress states were investigated, and a guideline towards risk assessment of PS type prosthesis was discussed. Three-D FE models of Stryker’s PS type knee prostheses, Scorpio Superflex and NRG, were developed base on their CAD data. The tibial post of Scorpio Superflex type knee prosthesis shapes angular, while NRG shapes round. Four nodes tetrahedral elements were used to construct the FE models. Nonlinear spring models were attached to the front and back of the tibial component to express the effect of soft tissues on the movement of real TKA knees. Vertical load and horizontal load were applied to the femoral and tibial components, respectively, to express a deep knee bending (squatting) motion. Flexion motion was introduced by rotation the femoral component from full extension to 135 degree. Internal rotation of 5, 10, 15 degrees were also introduced by rotating the tibial component simultaneously with the flexional motion. Maximum Mises equivalent stress during knee flexion with 5, 10 and 15 degrees internal rotation of the tibial component of Superflex were much higher than that of NRG, especially at the flexion angle of 120 degree. NRG exhibited stress concentrations on both the Post and condylar surfaces and stress levels were much lower that that of Superflex. The maximum stress in NRG was found to be reduced to about half of Superflex. Mises equivalent stress distribution also showed that flexion with internal rotation generated higher stress concentrations on the condylar surfaces of both prostheses. The analytical results well demonstrated that the design modification of the tibial insert of NRG effectively reduced the stress concentration with rotated tibial component. The lower stress level in NRG corresponds to the lower reaction force and hence lower resistance to flexional motion than Superflex. This implies that the round post is more suitable for deep flexion than the angular post.
