Tibial Lateral Condyle Fracture After Cementless Oxford Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty (UKA): A Report of Four Cases

Cureus. 2024 Jan 30;16(1):e53228. doi: 10.7759/cureus.53228. eCollection 2024 Jan.

Abstract

Cementless unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has a lower rate of radiolucency in postoperative follow-up than cemented UKA. However, the rate of tibial plateau fracture, one of the complications, has been reported to be higher in cementless UKA than in cemented UKA. We report four cases of postoperative tibial lateral condyle fractures after cementless Oxford UKA. Four patients underwent cementless Oxford UKA. Immediate postoperative radiography and CT showed no fracture lines. At five to six weeks postoperatively, MRI showed a fracture line from the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse tibial osteotomies through the lateral pinhole to the end of the lateral tibial diaphysis. At three months, bone union was observed without surgical treatments. Lateral tibial fracture after cementless Oxford UKA has a good clinical course without the need for surgical intervention. Medial fractures should thus be more actively prevented. MRI is useful for less symptomatic tibial lateral condyle fractures.

Keywords: cementless; lateral tibial fracture; magnetic resonance imaging (mri); pinhole; unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (uka).

Publication types

  • Case Reports