World experience with low contact stress mobile-bearing total knee arthroplasty: a literature review.

This article reviews recent data regarding the low contact stress (LCS) mobile-bearing total knee prosthesis recently published in the literature; conclusions are based on literature controls. The LCS Total Knee System (DePuy Orthopaedics Inc, Warsaw, Ind) has addressed the issues of implant polyethylene wear and implant-generated osteolysis. Patellar implant complications have been minimal despite the use of a mobile, metal-backed component. The original US Food and Drug Administration clinical investigation demonstrated favorable experience with cementless fixation. Results from numerous series indicate that the main problem with a mobile-bearing device is an early prosthetic failure resulting from bearing dislocation or breakage. Inadequate surgical technique will lead to femorotibial malalignment or ligamentous instability, which are factors that commonly result in revision. With the LCS Total Knee System, surgeons can use a tibia-cut-first approach with careful ligamentous balancing and flexion block spacing. The valgus lateral knee approach is an additional technique that has proved useful with this method.