Past studies have pointed out the importance of some factors affecting knee motion after total knee replacement (TKR). But it’s been awhile since these have been reviewed.
New implants and surgical techniques may have changed things. The authors of this study take a new look at the things that can affect motion post operatively.
The knee replacements in 192 patients (total knees: 219) were examined. X-rays were used to see the effect of implant position on motion. Other factors tested included age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). Diagnosis and motion before surgery were also tested.
One surgeon did all of the TKRs using a single type of implant. All patients had physical therapy afterward. No one used continuous passive motion. Everyone went home five days after surgery.
The results show that gender doesn’t make a difference on knee motion after TKR. The affect of age is still unclear. BMI was not strongly linked with motion in this study.
Past studies did link knee motion before the operation with motion afterwards. There was some connection in this study between flexion before and after surgery.
The authors found that the use of today’s more modern and up-to-date implants have changed how surgeons view results. This analysis shows that implant size and type no longer influence final knee motion after TKR.