Knee Arthroplasty (updated) Flashcards
Describe the 4th generation cementing technique
- Vacuum mixing cement (reduces porosity, increases fatigue strength)
- Medullary plug/cement restrictor (limits the cement column)
- Clean dry bone (increases cement interdigitation)
- Retrograde insertion of cement (reduces blood lamination)
- Cement pressurization (increases cement interdigitation)
- Prosthesis centralizers (even cement mantle)
overall patient satisfaction following TKA
4 out of 5 patients are satisfied overall
predictors of patient satisfaction and dissatisfaction after TKA
most commonly reported predictors of satisfaction include
* higher overall postop function
* greater improvement in funciton from pre-op to post-op levels
* decreased pain
* fulfillment of expectations
most commonly reported predictors of dissatisfaction
* persistent pain after surgery
* anxiety, depression, poorer mental health as measured by clinical diagnosis or pre-op questionnaires
how long does a knee replacement last
82% of TKAs and 70% of UKA last 25 years in paients with OA
what are the common measurements in TKA planning
- Mechanical axis of the limb
* Line from the centre of the femoral head to the centre of the ankle joint - Anatomical axis of the femur
* Line that bisects the femur medullary canal - Mechanical axis of the femur
* Line from the centre of the femoral head to the intersection of the anatomical axis and the intercondylar notch - Distal femoral cut angle
- 5-7 degrees of valgus
- Difference between the mechanical and anatomical axis
- Anatomical axis of the tibia
* Line that bisects the tibia medullary canal - Mechanical axis of the tibia
* Line from the centre of the proximal tibia to the centre of the ankle - Proximal tibial cut angle
- 0 degrees of varus/valgus
- 90 degrees to the mechanical axis of the tibia
- Normal tibial slope = 10+/-3 degrees
- Normal tibia plateau relative to the mechanical axis = 87° of varus (MPTA)
- Normal distal femur relative to the anatomical axis = 81° of valgus (aLDFA)
- Normal distal femur relative to the mechanical axis = 87° of valgus (mLDFA)
- Posterior condylar axis
- Line connecting the apex of the posterior aspect of the medial and lateral femoral condyles with the knee in flexion
- 3 degrees internally rotated relative to the transepicondylar axis
- Whitesides line
* Line extending from the deepest point of the femoral trochlea to the centre of the intercondylar notch - Transepicondylar axis
* *Line extending between the medial and lateral epicondyles - Q angle
- Angle formed between a line drawn from the ASIS to the centre of the patella and a line from the centre of the patella to the tibial tubercle
- Females = 18, males = 14
16.Tibiofemoral angle
- Angle formed between the anatomical axis of the femur and tibia
- Normal = ~6 degrees
- hip knee angle
* angle formed by the mechanical femoral axis and mechanical tibial axis
What are the technical goals in TKA?
- Restore neutral mechanical alignment of limb
- Restore joint line
- Balance ligaments
- Well tracking patella
definition of constitutional varus alignment knee
constitutional varus = varus knee alignment that persists at skeletal maturity
* varus - hip knee angkle measuring 3 degrees or more
* present in 32% of males and 17% of females
What is the difference between mechanical alignment and kinematic alignment?
1.Mechanical alignment
- A. Avoids tibia cut in anatomical varus (3°)
- B. Tibia cut is perpendicular to the mechanical axis (90° to the anatomical axis)
- C. Femoral cut is perpendicular to the mechanical axis (4-6° valgus to the anatomical axis)
2.Kinematic alignment
- A. AKA: Anatomic alignment, constitutional alignment
- B. Compared to mechanical alignment
- Femoral cuts are in 2-4° more valgus
- Tibial cuts are in 2-4° more varus
What is the difference between measured resection vs. gap balancing?
1.Measured resection
- A. Relies on transepicondylar axis, Whitesides line, posterior condylar axis
- B. Utilizes anterior or posterior referencing guides
- Anterior referencing avoids notching but can lead to overresection of posterior condyles increasing the flexion gap
- Posterior referencing can lead to anterior notching
- C. Disadvantage = variable femoral anatomy
- E.g. hypoplastic lateral femoral condyle
2.Gap balancing
- A. Relies on a precise tibial cut 90° to the mechanical axis
- The gaps are then balanced by removing osteophytes and tension is held with distraction devices
- Femoral cuts are made parallel to the tibial cut in flexion and extension
Pros/Cons/contraindications of cruiciate retaining knee
- Cruciate retaining (CR)
- PROS
- Bone conserving
- More consistent joint line restoration (small flexion gap)
- More proprioceptive feedback with PCL
- improved kinematics
- less stress at bone-cement interface
- CONS
- Harder to balance in severe deformities
- Tight PCL in flexion causes PE wear
- Late rupture/stretch of PCL leading to instability
- Sliding PE wear due to paradoxical forward sliding
- CONTRAINDICATIONS
- pcl insufficency
- PL instability (corner injury) - results in excessive PCL strain
- significant coronal deformity
- inflammatory arthritis
- extensor mechanism deficiency
- severe fixed flesion contracture (>20)
- past hx of trauma or surgery (difficult soft tissue balancing)
- excessive preop tibial slope
- PROS
key surgical pearls of performing CR TKA
- avoid over resection of the distal femur (CR is tighter in flexion compared to PS)
- avoid iatrogenic PCL injury with saw blade
- opt for a smaller femoral component (avoids excessive PCL tension)
- ensure adequate tibial slope (reduces PCL tension and facilitates flexion)
- small adjusements in tibial slope more efficiently fine-tunes the flexion gap compared to PS TKA
types and pros/cons/indications of cruciate sacrificing knee
- Cruciate sacrificing
- Posterior stabilized = polyethylene post and cam
- Indications:
- PCL deficient knee, patellectomy, inflammatory arthritis
- Indications:
- PROS
- Easier to balance soft tissues
- better knee flexion (compare to CR)
- more predictable kinematics and rollback
- CONS
- Femoral cam jump
- Patella clunk syndrome
- Tibial post wear and breakage
- Not bone conserving (intercondylar notch punch removes more bone)
- Larger flexion gap (leads to elevation of joint line due to larger distal femoral resection)
- oAnterior stabilized = extended anterior PE lip
- Posterior stabilized = polyethylene post and cam
what is the effect on the flexion gap when PCL is resected
flexion gap increases (3mm)
pros/cons for constrained knee
- Constrained
- Constrained non-hinged (high tibial post) [aka. varus valgus constrained, condylar constrained]
- CONS
- Increased polyethylene wear
- Higher rate of aseptic loosening (greater forces through implant-bone interface)
- not bone conserving
- risk of post fracture or failure
- PROS
- Substitutes for MCL or LCL deficiency
- CONS
indications and disavantages of hinged knee
- Most constrained
- Hinged with rotating tibial platform
- Indications [CORR 2010 May; 468(5): 1248–1253]
- Global ligamentous instability
- Severe deformity (with associated soft tissue releases)
- Severe bone loss (with loss of ligamentous attachments)
- Gross flexion extension imbalances/mismatch
- Hyperextension instability (eg. polio)
- Limb salvage surgery in oncology
- Comminuted or nonunited distal femur fracture in elderly
- Ankylosis with instability following releases
- disadvantages
- not bone conserving
- risk of aseptic looosening (greater forces thorugh implant-bone interface)
- Indications [CORR 2010 May; 468(5): 1248–1253]
What are the advantages/disadvantages of using a subvastus approach to the knee?
- Advantages
- earlier return of straight leg raise (1.7 days)
- lower VAS pain scores on POD 1 (0.8 pt difference)
- improved ROM at POD 7 (7°)
- less lateral release required
- reduced periop blood loss
- disadvantages
* longer total operative time (10 min)
* longer tourniquet time
* - notes
* no functional difference at 6 wks or one year
* no difference in adverse events
what are the advantagaes and disadvantages of midvastus approach compared to medial parapatellar approach
- advantages
* lower VAS pain scores at POD 14 (butt no difference at POD3, week 6, month 3 or month 6)
* improved ROM at POD 14 - disadvantages
* longer total operative time - notes
* no functional difference at 6 wks, 3/6 month or 1 year
* no difference in lateral retinacular release, blood loss, straight leg raise hospital stay and postop complications
what are the relative contraindications of subvastus/midvastus approaches
obesity, preop stiffness, previous HTO, revision TKA, extremely muscular quads, patella baja
advantages and disadvantages of uncemented TKA implants
advantages
- shorter OR time
* no time required for cement prep, implantation and curing
* may reduce risk of infection
- bone prserving
- easier to revise
- no risk of third body wear from retained cement
disadvantages
- technically demainding (precise bone cuts)
- risk of early migration of tibial components
- more expensive
advantages and disadvantages of cemented TKA implants
- advantages
- stable upon implantation
- less technically demainding
- allows for antibiotic delivery
- less costly
- adjustements in gap balancing can be made - disadvantages
- longer OR time
- potential third body wear from retained cement
What is the consequence of a flexion contracture post-TKA?
[JBJS(B) 2012;94-B, Supple A:112–15]
- Increased energy expenditure as a result of quadriceps activity to prevent knee buckling
- Relative LLD
* Shortens stride length, increases contralateral knee forces, alters trunk alignment
What is the intraop management of flexion contractures in TKA?
[JBJS(B) 2012;94-B, Supple A:112–15]
- Remove posterior osteophytes
- Release posterior capsule (off femur and tibia)
- Additional distal femoral resection
* Generally, take an additional 2mm for flexion contractures >10° - Decrease tibial slope
- Avoid implanting components in flexion
- PS knee preferred
- PCL recession in CR knees
* Release from posterior tibia, medial femoral condyle or V-shaped osteotomy of the posterior tibia - Release medial and lateral gastrocnemius
- Post operative splinting, CPM, shoe lift on contralateral side (forces extension), exercises, close followup
What are causes of patellar maltracking in TKA?
[JAAOS 2016;24: 220-230]
- Internally rotated femoral component
- Medialized femoral component
- Internally rotated tibial component
- Medialized tibial component
- Lateralized patellar button
- Valgus deformity (must restore neutral mechanical axis)
* I.e. >7° valgus positioning of the femoral component - Overstuffing patellofemoral joint
* I.e. Increased net patella thickness (increases tension on lateral retinaculum thereby increasing lateral patellar pull) - Asymmetric patellar resection
What are the intraop treatment options for patellar maltracking in TKA?
- Take down tourniqette to confirm maltracking
- “No thumb” test – patella should track with its medial edge in contact with the medial femoral component with the medial capsule open throughout the range without the surgeon keeping it in position
- “Kissing rule” – in maximal flexion the medial surface of the patella should make contact with the medial condyle of the femoral component
- Lateral release
- Medial plication
- Tibial tubercle osteotomy
- Quadsplasty
- Component revision









