Total knee arthroplasty for patients 90 years of age and older.

This study was done to review the reliability, durability, and safety of primary and revision total knee arthroplasty for patients 90 years of age and older. Because little data exist about the safety or efficacy of total knee replacement in this elderly population some physicians may be hesitant to recommend elective surgery to patients of this age. Fifty-one total knee replacements were done for 41 patients age 90 to 102 years (mean, 92 years). Forty-four primary total knee replacements and seven revision total knee replacements were done. Each patient was followed up until death or for a minimum of 2 years (mean, 4.0 years). The Knee Society pain scores improved significantly for the primary and revision groups from preoperative mean scores of 30 and 29 points to latest followup scores of 86 and 87 points, respectively. One patient died in the early postoperative period of causes related to the operation. The remaining patients have lived an average of 4.4 +/- 2.2 years after the primary knee arthroplasties and 5.7 +/- 2.8 years after the revision knee arthroplasties. No knees have required revision subsequently. Total knee replacement was reliable, durable, and safe in this group of patients older than 90 years. Primary care physicians and surgeons should be aware that primary and revision total knee replacement can be done safely and effectively for patients 90 years and older and result in years of marked pain relief for those patients.