Background: Component design is one of the contributory factors affecting the postoperative flexion angle. The purpose of this study was to compare short-term outcomes of flat surface and medial pivot designs in posterior cruciate-retaining (CR) total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
Methods: A retrospective, case-control, and observational cohort study consisted of matched-pairs of the flat surface design (Hi-Tech Knee II) and the medial pivot design (FINE Knee) in CR-TKA with a two-year follow-up period.
Results: Hi-Tech Knee II and FINE knee groups each included 7 males and 38 females. Surgical time was significantly shorter in the FINE Knee group than in the Hi-Tech Knee II group (104.8 min versus 154.9 min, p = 0.001). Estimated total blood loss was significantly lower in the FINE Knee group than in the Hi-Tech Knee II group (654 ml versus 1158 ml, p = 0.001). The postoperative flexion angle was significantly better in the FINE Knee group than in the Hi-Tech Knee II group (119.3 degrees versus 112.5 degrees), and was positively correlated with the preoperative flexion angle. Postoperative Knee Society scores were significantly better in the FINE Knee group than in the Hi-Tech Knee II group (93.0 points versus 85.0 points, p = 0.001), especially for postoperative pain relief (46.0 points versus 39.0 points out of 50, p = 0.001). Complications were not observed in either group over a two-year follow-up period.
Conclusion: The short-term outcome of the medial pivot design used in CR-TKA was more favorable than the flat surface design, especially for surgical time, estimated total blood loss, postoperative flexion angle, and knee pain.
Keywords: Comparative study; Flat surface; Medial pivot; Posterior cruciate-retaining; Total knee arthroplasty.