To resurface or not to resurface? Investigating the impact of patellar resurfacing on anterior knee pain in rheumatoid arthritis patients undergoing total knee replacement.

Background: Routine patellar resurfacing is a controversial issue in total knee replacement (TKR), especially for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Anterior knee pain (AKP) is a common complaint after TKR that may be related to patellofemoral joint condition. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with AKP after TKR for RA compared between non-resurfaced patella (NRP) and resurfaced patella (RP).

Methods: This retrospective study included RA patients who underwent TKR at our institute from 2002 to 2019. All included patients had at least 1 year of follow up. Patients were divided into the NRP and RP groups. At the last follow up visit, the prevalence of AKP, and the severity of AKP, including visual analogue pain score (VAPS) and Kujala score, were compared between groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of AKP.

Results: A total of 141 RA patients (median age: 60 years, 90% female, 219 knees) were included. There was no significant difference in AKP between the NRP and RP groups (12.7% vs. 7.3%, P = 0.185). Regarding AKP severity, there was no significant difference in VAPS or Kujala score between groups (P = 0.147 and P = 0.067, respectively). No independent predictors of AKP were identified.

Conclusion: Although patellar resurfacing is recommended in TKR for RA, this study found no significant difference in prevalence of AKP, VAPS and Kujala score between those with and without patellar resurfacing during TKR.