Background: For unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA), accurate alignment of the limb is crucial. This study is aimed at investigating the efficacy and safety of a three-dimensional printed patient-customized guiding template (3DGT) for UKA.
Methods: A total of 22 patients receiving UKA were randomly divided into the 3DGT-UKA group (n = 11) and traditional UKA group (T-UKA group; n = 11). In the 3DGT-UKA group, the line and angle of osteotomy were decided on a 3D image of the limb reconstructed from imaging data; a guiding template was then designed and printed out. The patients in the T-UKA group underwent conventional UKA. Prosthesis size, operation time, postoperative drainage, hip-knee angle (HKA), pain, and Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) scores were recorded at day 1, week 1, month 1, and month 3 after surgery.
Results: There was no significant difference in the size of prostheses between the preoperatively designed and actually used in the 3DGT-UKA group (p > 0.05). HKA was comparable in 3DGT-UKA and T-UKA patients. Operation time was shorter (53.6 ± 6.4 minutes vs. 75.8 ± 7.1 minutes) and wound drainage was less (93.2 ± 3.9 mL vs. 85.2 ± 3.0 mL) in 3DGT-UKA than in T-UKA (p < 0.05). Hospital stay was shorter in the 3DGT-UKA group. The 3DGT-UKA group had a lower VAS score on day 1, week 1, and month 1 and a higher HSS score on week 1 and month 1 after surgery. No varus/valgus deformity or prosthesis loosening was observed in either group at the final follow-up.
Conclusion: The 3D-printed patient-customized guiding template may help decrease operation time, decrease blood loss, and improve short-term clinical outcomes in patients undergoing UKA surgery.
Copyright © 2020 Fei Gu et al.