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Does the grading of chondromalacia patellae influence anterior knee pain following total knee arthroplasty without patellar resurfacing?

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Abstract

Objectives

The influence of chondromalacia patellae (CMP) on post-operative anterior knee pain (AKP) following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains controversial, and few studies have focused on the relationship between them. The purpose of this study was to determine whether different CMP grades affect the incidence of AKP after TKA without patellar resurfacing.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on 290 TKAs with the use of the low contact stress mobile-bearing prosthesis, without patellar resurfacing in 290 patients from February 2009 to January 2013. Patients were assessed by the Outerbridge classification for CMP, visual analog scale for AKP, the Knee Society clinical scoring system of knee score (KS), function score (FS), the patellar score (PS) for clinical function, and patients’ satisfaction.

Results

The intra-operative grading of CMP: grade I in 30 patients, grade II in 68 patients, grade III in 97 patients, and grade IV in 95 patients. The incidence of AKP at 36-month follow-up was 10.3% (30/290). No statistical difference was detected among the different CMP grades in terms of the incidence of AKP (p = 0.995), patients’ satisfaction (p = 0.832), KS (p = 0.228), FS (p = 0.713), and PS (p = 0.119) at 36-month follow-up.

Conclusions

The findings may suggest no relevant influence of CMP grading on the incidence of AKP after TKA without patellar resurfacing.

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Acknowledgments

We thank all patients who agreed to participate in this study. We thank Dr. Fang Pei, Ju-Tai Wu, and Zhi Yang who evaluated the clinical data of patients.

Funding

This work was supported by the Jiangsu Provincial Medical Youth Talent (QNRC2016800), the Science and Technology Planning Project of Xuzhou (KC16SL111), the Foundation of Jiangsu Province commission of Health and Family Planning (H2017081, H201528), and the Key Medical Subjects Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BE2015627).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, No. 99 Huaihai West Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221002, People’s Republic of China

    Guo-Chun Zha, Shuo Feng, Xiang-Yang Chen & Kai-Jin Guo

Authors
  1. Guo-Chun Zha
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  2. Shuo Feng
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  3. Xiang-Yang Chen
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  4. Kai-Jin Guo
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Correspondence to Guo-Chun Zha or Kai-Jin Guo.

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No benefits in any form have been received or will be received from a commercial party related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article.

Additional information

Level of Evidence: Prognostic studies, Level IV.

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Zha, GC., Feng, S., Chen, XY. et al. Does the grading of chondromalacia patellae influence anterior knee pain following total knee arthroplasty without patellar resurfacing?. International Orthopaedics (SICOT) 42, 513–518 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-017-3658-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-017-3658-0

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