Revision total knee arthroplasty with the total condylar III system: a comparative analysis of 71 consecutive cases of osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis.

BACKGROUND: As revision total knee arthroplasty surgery is becoming more common, it is necessary to evaluate how individual revision prosthesis systems perform in degenerative and inflammatory arthritides. In this study, results of the use of the Total Condylar III (TC III) system in osteoarthritis (55 knees) were compared to results of its use in inflammatory arthritis (16).
METHODS: Patients were followed radiographically for 5.9 (3.0-10.2) years and clinically for 3.0 (0.2-6.8) years, using re-revision as the endpoint.
RESULTS: At 1 year after revision and at final follow-up, the total Knee Society knee score, function score and range of motion had improved (p < 0.001) with no differences between osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis. No knee had definite component loosening, although 23 knees had asymptomatic radiolucent lines. Complications comprised 4 infections, 1 patellar pain syndrome and 1 rupture of the patellar tendon. Using any re-revision of the prosthesis as the endpoint, 5-year survival was 95% and 8-year survival was 94%.
INTERPRETATION: Concentration of demanding revision knee arthroplasties to a few hands led to good or excellent knee joint knee score results in four-fifths of the patients, and showed good outcome with the TCIII system. In spite of ligamentous laxity, propensity to develop infections, bone destruction and poor general health, patients with inflammatory arthritis had results similar to those with osteoarthritis.