Patellar tendon length and clinical outcomes after preservation or complete excision of the infrapatellar fat pad in total knee arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial / 中华骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To compare the effect of preservation or complete excision of infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) on clinical outcomes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) at one year follow-up.Methods We randomized 100 patients (100 knees) undergoing TKA into two groups from June 2014 to August 2015,16 male and 78 female,with the average of 62.37 years old (range from 48 to 75).In excision group,50 patients underwent TKA with complete IPFP excision and in preservation group,50 patients received TKA without IPFP excision.We compared the outcome at postoperative 1 year between the two groups.Wound complication rate and patellar tendon injury rate were also evaluated.Results Complete follow-up data were available on 94 patients (46in preservation group and 48 in excision group).There were no intraoperative patellar tendon injury and postoperative wound complication cases.The patellar tendon length of excision group and preservation group at 1 week was (40.35±6.05) mm and (40.56±6.17) mm,and at 1 year were (36.18±7.09) mm and (38.75±6.23) mm,there were no statistical differences between the two groups.The patellar tendon shortening at postoperative 1 year in excision group was (-4.18±3.52) mm,more than preservation group which was (-1.81±2.08) mm,and there was statistically significant difference between the two groups.One year postoperatively,the anterior knee pain score in preservation group 2.42±2.19 was lower than excision group excision group 0.93± 1.40,and anterior knee pain rate was 2.2％ and 18.8％ in each group,the difference were all statistically significant.The Knee Society (KS) scores,knee flexion,flexion contracture,patient satisfaction score,and patient satisfaction rate had no statistical differences between the two groups.Conclusion Complete resection of IPFP results in a significant patellar tendon shortening and a higher probability of occurrence of knee pain after 1 year of TKA.Retention of IPFP did not increase the risk of patellar tendon injury and should therefore be kept as much as possible for complete IPFP.