A Crossed Screw Patellar Reconstruction Technique for the Treatment of the Severely Deficient Scaphoid Shaped Patella in Total Knee Arthroplasty.

One of the contraindications to patella resurfacing in total knee arthroplasty is a thin and severely eroded 'deficient' patella. However, such patients often present with severe patellofemoral joint arthritis, patellar lateral subluxation, and patella maltracking, which can only be treated effectively with resurfacing. While various treatments have been proposed, options remain limited. Here we introduce a method of patella reconstruction using four 2.7-mm titanium cortical screws crossing each other into the inner shell of the patella. This provides a scaffold onto which bone cement and any standard polyethylene patellar component can be fixed. Postoperatively, the patient had no anterior knee pain, no patella maltracking, and no component loosening. Advantages of this technique include minimization of extensor disruption, low costs, easy accessibility, reproducibility, and improved mechanical strength.

Comparative demographics, ROM, and function after TKA in Chinese, Malays, and Indians.

BACKGROUND: There is marked racial disparity in TKA use rates, demographics, and outcomes between white and Afro-Caribbean Americans. Comparative studies of ethnicity in patients undergoing TKAs have been mostly in American populations with an underrepresentation of Asian groups. It is unclear whether these disparities exist in Chinese, Malays, and Indians. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We therefore determined whether (1) TKA use; (2) demographics and preoperative statuses; and (3) functional outcomes at 2 years after TKA differed among three ethnic groups, namely, Chinese, Malays, and Indians who underwent TKA. METHODS: From our hospital joint registry we identified 5332 patients who had a primary TKA from 2004 to 2009. The cohort was stratified by race and subsequently compared for demographics, preoperative knee ROM, and deformity. At the second postoperative year we determined Knee Society scores, Oxford knee scores, and obtained SF-36 health questionnaires. RESULTS: Six percent more Chinese patients underwent TKAs compared with Malays or Indians. Malays were operated on at a younger age with a higher body mass index. Chinese patients had more severe preoperative varus deformity. There were no major differences in joint ROM in all races. For Knee Society, Oxford knee, and SF-36 scores, Chinese patients had consistently higher preoperative and postoperative scores. Malays presented with the lowest preoperative scores but had the greatest improvement in scores at followup with postoperative scores similar to Chinese counterparts. Indians had the lowest postoperative scores and worst improvement of all CONCLUSIONS: The variations in demographics, preoperative statuses, and subsequent postoperative outcomes between the races should be considered when comparing TKA outcome studies in Asian populations.