Influence of intra-operative joint gap on post-operative flexion angle in osteoarthritis patients undergoing posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty

Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2007 Aug;15(8):1013-8. doi: 10.1007/s00167-007-0331-y. Epub 2007 Apr 25.

Abstract

Recently, we developed a new tensor for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures enabling soft tissue balance assessment throughout the range of motion while reproducing post-operative joint alignment with the patello-femoral (PF) joint reduced and the tibiofemoral joint aligned. Using the tensor with a computer-assisted navigation system, we investigated the relationship between various intra-operative joint gap values and their post-operative flexion angles. An increased value during the extension to flexion gap and a decreased value during the flexion to deep flexion gap with PF joint reduced, not everted, showed an inverse correlation with post-operative knee flexion angle, not pre-operative flexion angle. In conclusion, understanding the characteristics of joint gap kinematics in posterior-stabilized TKA under physiological and reproducible joint conditions may enable the prediction of the post-operative flexion angle and help to determine the appropriate intra-operative joint gap.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee* / methods
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Female
  • Femur / surgery
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Joint Prosthesis*
  • Knee Joint / physiopathology*
  • Monitoring, Intraoperative*
  • Movement
  • Osteoarthritis, Knee / surgery*
  • Osteotomy / methods
  • Patella / surgery
  • Prosthesis Design*
  • Range of Motion, Articular / physiology*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Rotation
  • Surgery, Computer-Assisted
  • Tibia / surgery
  • Treatment Outcome