Anatomically based patellar resection criteria for total knee arthroplasty.

Thirty-six patellae were used to geometrically assess anatomically based patellar resection criteria for total knee arthroplasty. The plane of resection was defined in the coronal plane by three distinct anatomic landmarks on the undersurface of the patella: the medial and lateral edges of the quadriceps tendon insertion and the lateral edge of the patellar ligament insertion. The depth of the resection plane is defined by the anatomic landmark points approximately 1 mm posterior to the posterior aspect of the superior and inferior ligament insertions. Following resection, the resected patellae were geometrically characterized using two dimensional rectangular Cartesian coordinate system. The anatomically based patellar resection yielded a simple, consistent, and reliable method for patellar resection for total knee arthroplasty. The proportionate geometric characteristics of both the remaining anterior piece and the resected posterior piece were remarkably uniform. Following resection, the remaining patellar thickness was 65.6+/-5.3% (mean+/-SD) of the original thickness. The maximum width to height ratio of the resected surface was approximately 1:1. The thickness to diameter ratio of the resected portion of the patella was approximately 1:5. The apex of the patella was slightly off to the medial-distal quadrant from the geometric center of the resected surface. The results of this study indicate that anatomically based patellar resection criteria may help reduce the surgical variations associated with patellar resurfacing in total knee arthroplasties with dome-shaped prostheses.