The patellofemoral joint after total knee arthroplasty without patellar resurfacing.

One hundred total knee replacements with a total condylar prosthesis and without patellar resurfacing were followed for a minimum of two years. Eighty-four per cent of the knees were affected by osteoarthrosis. Graded according to the knee-rating system of the Hospital for Special Surgery, there were eighteen excellent, fifty-three good, eighteen fair, and eleven poor results. At the most recent follow-up, twenty-nine knees (29 per cent), nine of which were affected by rheumatoid arthritis, were still painful in the patellofemoral area. The height and weight of the patient definitely influenced the amount of patellofemoral pain postoperatively. Small patients who had osteoarthrosis were exceptionally free of pain, regardless of sex, age, or level of activity. It seems that the best approach to patellofemoral replacement includes resurfacing of the patella in all patients who have rheumatoid arthritis and in patients who have osteoarthrosis if they have preoperative patellofemoral pain, are more than 160 centimeters tall, weigh more than sixty kilograms, and have advanced changes in the patella at the time of the operation.