Effect of posterior cruciate sacrificing on durability of the cement-bone interface: a nine-year survivorship study of 100 total condylar knee arthroplasties.

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a survivorship analysis of the second group of 100 consecutive primary total-condylar knee arthroplasties carried out in 75 patients between 1979-80 with a maximum follow-up of 9 years. With this type of knee arthroplasty the posterior cruciate ligament is routinely sacrificed. Survivorship results revealed that 98.9% of the knees had a good outcome at 9 years of follow-up, using revision surgery for aseptic and septic loosening, and radiographic evidence of global radiolucency or shift of the component as the end point. Radiographic survivorship analysis showed well-fixed components in 87% of implants using endpoint criteria of appearance and progression of radiolucency under the tibial component. Sacrificing the posterior cruciate ligament does not adversely affect the durability of fixation of total-condylar knee arthroplasty. Bone cement provides an excellent fixation of the total knee implant.