To evaluate the mid-term effectiveness of Oxford Unicompartmental Knee system Phase III for medial unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis (OA).
Between December 2008 and August 2010, 26 patients (32 knees) with medial unicompartmental knee OA were treated. Of 26 patients, 11 were followed up more than 2 years, including 7 males and 4 females (14 knees, 6 left and 8 right knees) with an average age of 62.4 years (range, 50-74 years). All patients had load suffering and tenderness of medial unicompartmental knee, and complicated by varus deformity without limitation of flexion and extension; the disease duration ranged 5-23 years (mean, 11.6 years). According to Ahlback staging, 4 knees were at stage II and 10 knees at stage III. Cemented unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (Oxford Unicompartmental Knee system Phase III) was performed by minimally invasive technique.
All the incisions were primary healing after operation. Five cases suffered from local ache in the pes anserinus during the first 3 months after operation, which was cured after conservative therapy. Of them, 11 patients were followed up 27.5 months on average (range, 24-30 months). During follow-up, no complication of prosthesis loosening, displacement, arthropathy in the opposite department, or the patellofemoral joint occurred. The range of motion was significantly improved from (109.2 +/- 8.7) degrees preoperatively to (123.5 +/- 6.7) degrees at last followup (P < 0.05); knee society score (KSS) and Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores were all significantly improved (P < 0.05). At last follow-up, the femoro-tibial angle was significantly improved (P < 0.05); tibial plateau and the tibial anatomical axis increased, showing no significant difference (P > 0.05); and posterior tibial slope was significantly decreased (P < 0.05).
Oxford Unicompartmental Knee system Phase III has satisfactory mid-term effectiveness in treating medial unicompartmental knee OA with the advantages of little trauma and rapid recovery, but long-term effectiveness is expected for further follow-up.