Patellar facet ratio affects knee pain, stair climbing and stair descent after TKA without patellar resurfacing.

Purpose: To determine whether knee pain or functional impairment after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) without patellar resurfacing are correlated with preoperative patellar morphology or postoperative patellar orientation. The hypotheses were that patellar shape, increased tilt and lateral displacement would be associated with pain and functional impairment.

Methods: From a consecutive series of 152 knees that received a cemented postero-stabilized TKA, the Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) were collected at a minimum follow-up of 12 months. Uni- and multi-variable linear regression analyses were performed to determine associations between the collected clinical scores and patient demographics and patellar morphology, measured from pre- and post-operative frontal, lateral and skyline view radiographs.

Results: The OKS was 75 ± 23, whereas the KOOS pain, stair climbing, and descent were respectively 77 ± 24, 3.9 ± 1.1 and 3.8 ± 1.2. OKS was not associated with any radiographic outcomes, whereas KOOS pain was better for knees with larger medial patellar facets. The KOOS stair climbing and descent were also better for knees with larger medial patellar facets.

Conclusion: The findings of this study partly confirm the hypotheses that pain and functional impairments after TKA without patellar resurfacing are associated with patellar shape. No association was revealed between postoperative patellar orientation and function nor pain. Quantitative consideration of patellar congruency could therefore prevent pain and improve function after TKA without patellar resurfacing.

Level Of Evidence: Retrospective study, Level III.