Patella Resurfacing Leads to Higher Patient Satisfaction

Patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty with patella resurfacing had a slightly higher satisfaction rate than those who underwent arthroplasty without resurfacing, according to study results.

Researchers from Indiana and Washington state randomly assigned 350 knees in 270 patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty to a patella-resurfacing group or patella non-resurfacing group. The researchers evaluated 327 knees at a mean follow-up of 7.8 years. One hundred fourteen knees followed for longer than 10 years were analyzed separately. The study’s primary outcome measures were patient satisfaction, need for revision, Knee Society score and Knee Society function score, and secondary outcomes included active and passive range of motion, presence of anterior knee pain and stair-climbing ability.

Results showed higher satisfaction among patients with a resurfaced patella. However, the researchers found no significant difference in patients followed for at least 10 years. Overall, there was no difference in Knee Society Scale scores or survivorship. Additionally, no complications of patellar resurfacing were identified, according to the data.