The Herbert total knee replacement: a longer than three year follow-up.

Thirty personally performed Herbert total knee replacements, evaluated during a 3-year follow-up, were found not to function well. At the end of one postoperative year 6 knees had symptomatic metal synovitis and required replacement. By the end of 3 years the Herbert total knee replacement had functioned in only 12 patients. The largest single follow-up complication was foreign body synovitis, inflammation of the synovium secondary to small free metal fragments produced by the 2 components rubbing against each other during gait.