Information for Patients
From the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Patellar Instability After Total Knee Arthroplasty
Common patellofemoral complications after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) include instability, patellar fracture, implant loosening, component breakage, osteonecrosis, and accelerated polyethylene wear. Nonsurgical management of these complications after TKA is almost always indicated initially but has been associated with mixed results. Because femoral or tibial component malposition is often the etiology of patellar complications, revision of the malpositioned TKA components is usually required. Proximal realignment for patellar maltracking in the setting of properly positioned and sized components is associated with good results. Isolated patellar component revision has been reported to have a high rate of complications.
Keywords: resurfaced patella, unresurfaced patella, onlay patella, inset patella, metal-backed patella, congruent articulation, incongruent articulation, lateral release, vastus medialis advancement, tibial tubercle transfer