In Vivo Weight-Bearing Kinematics for Constrained Versus Traditional Bicruciate Stabilized Total Knee Arthroplasty Cohorts Compared to the Normal Knee.

Background: Constrained inserts in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may offer additional stability, but can this insert type allow unrestricted movements or will the extra conformity cause kinematic conflict with the cam-post mechanism in deeper flexion? The objective of this study was to evaluate the weight-bearing kinematics of both traditional and constrained bicruciate stabilized (BCS) TKA inserts to determine if the rollback induced by the cam-post mechanism will work in unison with the constrained polyethylene insert.

Methods: This study used previously published 3-dimensional model fitting techniques to compare weight-bearing flexion and femoro-tibial condylar motion patterns for 20 patients who had a traditional insert, 20 patients who had a constrained insert, and 10 previously published nonimplanted knees, all performing a deep knee bend activity while under fluoroscopic surveillance.

Results: The results from this study indicate that subjects having a bicruciate stabilized TKA experienced similar postoperative kinematics for both constrained and unconstrained insert options, comparable to normal knees.

Conclusions: Subjects in this study having either a constrained or traditional insert experienced progressive rollback of both condyles, with the lateral condyle rolling more posterior than the medial condyle, leading to axial rotation. Although less in magnitude, these results were comparable to the normal knee in pattern, indicating that kinematic conflict did not occur for subjects having a constrained insert.