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Clinical outcomes after high-flex versus conventional total knee arthroplasty

  • Knee
  • Published:
Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

Purpose

To compare clinical outcomes after high-flex versus conventional total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods

A systematic review and meta-regression were performed to compare post-operative outcomes between the two types of prostheses. Relevant randomized controlled trials were identified from MEDLINE and Scopus up to November, 2014.

Results

Fourteen of 369 studies were eligible; 14, 7, 6, 5, 3, 12 and 7 studies were included in the pooling of maximum knee flexion, Knee Society Knee Score (KS), Knee Society Function Score (FS), Hospital for Special Surgery score (HSS), short-form (SF) physical activity score, post-operative complications (DVT, fractures, infection) and revision TKA, respectively. The high-flex TKA had 1.97° [95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.37, 3.57], −0.86 (95 % CI −1.65, 0.07) and −1.34 (−2.57, −0.11) higher mean maximum knee flexion, KS and FS when compared to conventional TKA. However, there were non-significant differences in HSS, SF-36 (physical), complications and revision TKA.

Conclusion

This study suggests that there are improvements in post-operative knee range of motion and knee scores in high-flex TKA implants when compared to conventional TKA implants; however, the difference was very small and therefore might not have any clinical impact. Therefore, conventional TKA can be used as a substitute. However, cost-effective analysis should be performed to make appropriate selections in the future. There are no statistically significant differences in terms of HSS, quality of life, complications and revisions between the groups.

Level of evidence

I.

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Acknowledgments

All authors declare no funding source or sponsor involvement in the study design, collection, analysis and interpretation of the data, in writing the manuscript and in submission of the manuscript for publication.

Conflict of interest

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jatupon Kongtharvonskul.

Appendix

Appendix

Search Strategies

MEDLINE

  • ((total knee arthroplasty) AND (high flex))

Scopus

#1 total knee arthroplasty

#2 high flex

#3 #1 and #2

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Arirachakaran, A., Wande, T., Pituckhanotai, K. et al. Clinical outcomes after high-flex versus conventional total knee arthroplasty. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 23, 1610–1621 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-015-3557-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-015-3557-0

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