Technical aspects of unicompartmental knee arthroplasy

Summary:

The three aims of this project are to provide an overview of the literature on unicompartmental knee arthroplasty in order to justify the introduction of this device, to evaluate the clinical results, and to focus on the potential pitfalls of the Oxford phase-3 mobile-bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. When non-operative and arthroscopic procedures fail, the surgeon may consider high tibial osteotomy, unicompartmental arthroplasty or total knee arthroplasty. The long-term survival rate for unicompartmental knee arthroplasty is better than that for HTO, and might be as good as the long-term survival rate of a total knee arthroplasty. As the population ages and grows, the number of people with symptoms attributable to unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis will increase. Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty offers a more physiological alternative to HTO and total knee arthroplasty. Progress has been made in the design and implantation of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, in particular for the medial compartment. However, complications do occur, and surgical expertise and knowledge of the presented pitfalls, tips and tricks are still important factors in determining a successful outcome.