A functional comparison of medial pivot and condylar knee designs based on patient outcomes and parameters of gait

AIMS: The outcome of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is not always satisfactory. The purpose of this study was to identify satisfaction and biomechanical features characterising the gait of patients who had undergone TKA with either an anatomical single radius design or a medial pivot design. We hypothesised that the latter would provide superior function. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a study of a subset of patients recruited into a prospective randomised study of a single radius design versus a medial pivot design, with a minimum follow-up of one year. Outcome measurements included clinical scores (Knee Society Score (KSS) and Oxford Knee Score (OKS)) and gait analysis using an instrumented treadmill. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups for both the KSS and OKS. There was also no statistical significance in cadence, walking speed, stride length and stance time, peak stride, mid support and push-off forces. CONCLUSION: This study corroborates a previous study by the same authors that showed equally good results in clinical outcome and gait between the conventional single radius and medial pivot designs under stringent testing conditions. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;(1 Supple A)100-B:76–82.