Long-term survival of a flat-on-flat total condylar knee arthroplasty fixed with a hybrid cementing technique for tibial components.

PURPOSE: Total knee arthroplasty is one of the most successful procedures of modern orthopedics. Several implants have been proposed over the years with different designs, kinematics, and cementing techniques, with good results. The aim of the study was to assess the clinical and radiographic long-term follow-up of a series of patients undergoing total knee replacement that used a specific design of knee implant with cemented femoral and patellar components, and a hybrid fixation technique for tibial trays that used a cemented base plate and press-fit keels.

METHODS

A total of 145 implants in 135 patients were studied with clinical and radiologic evaluations. The mean follow-up was 17.1 years.

RESULTS

Seven failures for aseptic loosening and four failures for infection were registered. Twenty-nine implants showed nonprogressive radiolucencies, mostly at a single component, which did not need revision. The overall survivorship at the mean follow-up of 15 years considering aseptic loosening as the endpoint was 92.1%.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors confirm the good rates of success and the long-term survival of this specific implant and the effectiveness of the tibial hybrid cementing technique, which is still debated among researchers.