The Effect of Electrocautery around the Patellar Rim in Patellar Non-Resurfacing Total Knee Arthroplasty

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical effect of electrocautery on the reduction of pain in patellar non-resurfacing bilateral total knee arthroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 50 patients were enrolled into this study; all patients had undergone bilateral patellar non-resurfacing total knee arthoplasty at our hospital, between January 2007 to December 2008. The minimum follow-up period was 1 year. The electrocautery of the patellar rim was performed randomly on one side only. The clinical results were evaluated between the electrocautery group and the non-electrocautery group based on measures of anterior knee pain, range of motion, American Knee Society clinical rating score, Feller knee score, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities score, and radiographic analysis. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences between preoperative and postoperative status for all parameters. There were no statistically significant differences noted between the electrocautery group and the non electrocautery group for all parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Electrocautery of patellar rim is thought to be less effective in reducing anterior knee pain.