The aim of this study was to review the early outcome of the Femoro-Patella Vialla (FPV) joint replacement. A total of 48 consecutive FPVs were implanted between December 2007 and June 2011. Case-note analysis was performed to evaluate the indications, operative histology, operative findings, post-operative complications and reasons for revision. The mean age of the patients was 63.3 years (48.2 to 81.0) and the mean follow-up was 25.0 months (6.1 to 48.9). Revision was performed in seven (14.6%) at a mean of 21.7 months, and there was one re-revision. Persistent pain was observed in three further patients who remain unrevised. The reasons for revision were pain due to progressive tibiofemoral disease in five, inflammatory arthritis in one, and patellar fracture following trauma in one. No failures were related to the implant or the technique. Trochlear dysplasia was associated with a significantly lower rate of revision (5.9% vs 35.7%, p = 0.017) and a lower incidence of revision or persistent pain (11.8% vs 42.9%, p = 0.045).

Focal patellofemoral osteoarthritis secondary to trochlear dysplasia should be considered the best indication for patellofemoral replacement. Standardised radiological imaging, with MRI to exclude overt tibiofemoral disease should be part of the pre-operative assessment, especially for the non-dysplastic knee.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:793–7.

The Oxford knee score (OKS) is a validated and widely accepted disease-specific patient-reported outcome measure, but there is limited evidence regarding any long-term trends in the score. We reviewed 5600 individual OKS questionnaires (1547 patients) from a prospectively-collected knee replacement database, to determine the trends in OKS over a ten-year period following total knee replacement. The mean OKS pre-operatively was 19.5 (95% confidence interval (CI) 18.8 to 20.2). The maximum post-operative OKS was observed at two years (mean score 34.4 (95% CI 33.7 to 35.2)), following which a gradual but significant decline was observed through to the ten-year assessment (mean score 30.1 (95% CI 29.1 to 31.1)) (p < 0.001). A similar trend was observed for most of the individual OKS components (p < 0.001). Kneeling ability initially improved in the first year but was then followed by rapid deterioration (p < 0.001). Pain severity exhibited the greatest improvement, although residual pain was reported in over two-thirds of patients post-operatively, and peak improvement in the night pain component did not occur until year four. Post-operative OKS was lower for women (p < 0.001), those aged < 60 years (p < 0.003) and those with a body mass index > 35 kg/m² (p < 0.014), although similar changes in scores were observed. This information may assist surgeons in advising patients of their expected outcomes, as well as providing a comparative benchmark for evaluating longer-term outcomes following knee replacement.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:45–51.

We present a comparison of patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) in relation to patient age, in patients who had received a total (TKR) or unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR). The outcome was evaluated using the Oxford knee score (OKS), EuroQol (EQ-5D) and satisfaction scores. Patients aged 65 to 84 years demonstrated better pre-operative function scores than those aged < 65 years (OKS, p = 0.03; EQ-5D, p = 0.048) and those aged ≥ 85 years (OKS, p = 0.03). Post-operative scores were comparable across age groups, but a linear trend for greater post-operative improvement in OKS and EQ-5D was seen with decreasing age (p < 0.033). The overall mean satisfaction score at six months was 84.9, but those aged <  55 years exhibited a lower mean level of satisfaction (78.3) compared with all other age groups (all p < 0.031). The cumulative overall two-year revision rate was 1.3%. This study demonstrates that good early outcomes, as measured by the OKS and EQ-5D, can be anticipated following knee replacement regardless of the patient’s age, although younger patients gain greater improvement. However, the lower satisfaction in those aged < 55 years is a concern, and suggests that outcome is not fully encapsulated by the OKS and EQ-5D evaluation, and raises the question whether the OKS alone is an appropriate measure of pain and function in younger, more active individuals.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:38–44.