Is bilateral total knee arthroplasty staged at a one-week interval safe? A matched case control study.

Controversy surrounds the safety of bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and whether staging the procedures one week apart represents a safer option. A consecutive series of 234 patients underwent either a simultaneous (103 patients) or staged bilateral TKA (131 patients) from 2007 to 2012 and were compared to a matched control group of unilateral TKA (131 patients). Staged patients had no difference in one-year complication rate when compared to simultaneous bilateral TKA and the matched unilateral TKA control group (15% vs. 19% vs. 15%, P=0.512). There was also no difference in perioperative complications (10% vs. 14% vs. 7%, P=0.231) or 90-day readmissions (8% vs. 4% vs. 4%, P=0.295). In selected patients with bilateral knee OA, TKA staged at a one-week interval is a safe alternative.