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The Repicci II® Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty: 9-year Survivorship and Function

  • Clinical Research
  • Published:
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®

Abstract

Background

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is a recognized procedure for treatment of medial compartment osteoarthritis. UKA using minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has the theoretical advantage of less bone resection and quicker rehabilitation. Whether the function of patients with UKA compares with that of patients with conventional TKA is unclear.

Questions/purposes

We determined (1) the length of stay and complications associated with a short-stay MIS protocol; (2) whether MIS techniques allow for accurate positioning of the implant and alignment of the limb; (3) the change in functional scores; (4) the revision rate, reasons for revision, and survival of this implant.

Patients and Methods

We prospectively followed 100 patients who had 114 UKAs. All completed an International Knee Society (IKS) score preoperatively, at 1 year, and at last followup. We determined survivorship. Minimum followup was 5.2 years (mean, 7.4 years; range, 5.2–9 years).

Results

Mean length of stay was 1.2 days, with 41% discharged the same day. The perioperative complication rate was 6%. The mean IKS score improved from 77 to 93 and was 86 at last followup. The mean hip-knee-ankle axis changed from 6° varus to 1.7° varus. Twenty-two patients underwent a revision procedure at a mean 6.2 years after the index procedure. Survivorship of the prosthesis was 78% at 9 years.

Conclusions

The short-stay protocol was not associated with a high perioperative complication rate. This technique is associated with improvement in function and restoration of limb alignment, allowing accurate positioning of the implant. Compared with other reports of survival of UKA, this implant had a lower survivorship and increased revision rate.

Level of Evidence

Level IV, therapeutic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. St Vincent’s Clinic, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Turlough O’Donnell MB, BCh, FRCSI, FRCS (Orth and Trauma) & Michael J. Neil MB, BS, FRACS (Orth), FRCSEd (Orth), FAOrthA

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of New South Wales, Randwick, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Turlough O’Donnell MB, BCh, FRCSI, FRCS (Orth and Trauma) & Michael J. Neil MB, BS, FRACS (Orth), FRCSEd (Orth), FAOrthA

  3. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre Beacon Hospital, Sandyford, Dublin 14, Ireland

    Turlough O’Donnell MB, BCh, FRCSI, FRCS (Orth and Trauma)

Authors
  1. Turlough O’Donnell MB, BCh, FRCSI, FRCS (Orth and Trauma)
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  2. Michael J. Neil MB, BS, FRACS (Orth), FRCSEd (Orth), FAOrthA
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Turlough O’Donnell MB, BCh, FRCSI, FRCS (Orth and Trauma).

Additional information

Each author certifies that he or she has no commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article.

Each author certifies that his or her institution approved the human protocol for this investigation and that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research.

This work was performed at St Vincent’s Clinic.

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O’Donnell, T., Neil, M.J. The Repicci II® Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty: 9-year Survivorship and Function. Clin Orthop Relat Res 468, 3094–3102 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-010-1474-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-010-1474-6

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