No difference in mobile and fixed bearing partial knee arthroplasty in octogenarians: a clinical trial

BACKGROUND: A clinical trial comparing MB (mobile-bearing) versus FB (fixed-bearing) in medial partial knee arthroplasty (PKA) in octagenarians has been conducted. The focus of the present study was on PROMs, range of motion (ROM), implant positioning and implants survivorship. The hypothesis of the present study was that MB implants performed better than FB in PKA in octogenarians. METHODS: The first group received FB PKA-PPK®; the second received MB PKA-Oxford. Patients were not randomly allocated. The following PROMs were administered at T(0) (pre-operatively), T(1) (1 year after surgery), and T(2) (3 years after surgery): visual analogue scale (VAS), Knee Society Score (KSS) and Oxford Knee Score (OKS). Data regarding the implant survivorship and ROM were also collected. Furthermore, the following radiographic parameters were measured: Femoral component varus/valgus; Tibial component varus/valgus; Anteroposterior slope. RESULTS: At T(0), 28 patients were included in the FB and 33 in the MB group. The surgical time was shorter in the FB group (p < 0.001). No difference between FB and MB in ROM, VAS, KSS, and OKS at each follow-up (p > 0.05). No difference was found in implant positioning (p > 0.05). At last follow-up, FB group reported three failures caused by aseptic loosening. Four failures were observed in the MB cohort: two for bearing dislocation and two for aseptic loosening. The Kaplan–Meier Curve found no differences in implant survivorship. CONCLUSIONS: According to the main findings of the present clinical trial, MB implants performed similar to FB in PKA in octogenarians. The FB group demonstrated shorted surgical time. No difference was found in patient reported outcome measures, ROM, implant positioning, and survivorship. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, prospective study.