Exploring ways to improve knee implant design, surgical techniques, and patient selection criteria (Clemson Univ)
Picture of the knee testing rig designed and built at Clemson University.
Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is a surgical procedure used to treat osteoarthritis when the damage is only limited to one compartment of the knee. The main advantages of this procedure over the total knee replacement (TKR) include preservation of bone stock, more physiologic joint movement, improved proprioception, increased range of motion (ROM), and faster recovery time.
Despite its reported success rates, (87 to 98% survivorship at ten years) UKA has not gained universal recognition as the appropriate procedure of arthritis of a single condyle. This is mainly due to its more complex procedure and a reported slightly lower success rates compared to TKA.
Progression of arthritis in the non-operated compartment, polyethylene wear, aseptic loosening, fracture, and revision due to pain are some of the reported failure modes of UKA. These failure modes are believed to be associated with poor implant design, patient selection, and alignment during surgery, and a mismatch in compliance betw...
