The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery published an article examining the long term survival of total knee replacements in young, active patients.
The researchers reviewed total joint replacement in patients 55 years old and younger to examine long-term outcomes. There were 114 total knee replacements performed in 88 patients included in the study. The average age was 51 years old and patients were followed-up with after 30 years.
Here are 10 trends the researchers found:
1. There was a 70.1 percent survivorship without revision surgery for any reason 30 years after the initial procedure.
2. Total knee replacement survivorship with failure defined as aseptic revision of the tibial or femoral component was 82.5 percent.
3. There was a significant difference in survivalship free from tibial or femoral aseptic revision between patients who received the non-modular Insall-Burnstein I component and the modular Insall-Burnstein II component. Survivalship for the Insall-Burnstein I component was 92.3 percent; for the Insall-Burnstein II comment was 68.3 percent.
4. The average Hospital for Special Surgery score for 36 patients who had a clinical evaluation for their total knee replacements improved from 57.9 points postoperatively to 85.3 points at the latest follow-up — an average of 25.1 years.
5. The average Knee Society score was 87.4 points.
6. The average Knee Society functional score was 62.1 points.
7. The average Tegner and Lysholm activity score improved from 1.5 points to three points.
8. The average knee motion was 110 degrees.
9. A radiographic review of 42 knees that underwent total knee replacement showed an average 3.2 degrees of valgus. There were no cases of radiographically loose components.
10. The researchers concluded total knee replacement with cemented posterior stabilization, particularly with a non-modular Insall Burnstein I design, "was an effective treatment option with durable results for end-stage symptomatic osteoarthritis in this young cohort."