Cemented Rotating-platform Total Knee Replacement. A Nine to Twelve-year Follow-up Study

Background: Although the LCS (low contact stress) rotating-platform mobile-bearing knee replacement has been used extensively, there have been few intermediate or long-term clinical and radiographic follow-up studies evaluating the device. The purpose of this study was to report the nine to twelve-year results of a consecutive series of patients who had a primary total knee replacement performed with this device.

Methods: Between November 1985 and November 1988, the senior author (R. C. J.) performed 119 consecutive total knee arthroplasties in eighty-six patients with LCS rotating-platform femoral and tibial components and a Townley all-polyethylene dome patellar component. All components were fixed with cement. The average age of the patients at the time of the operation was seventy years (range, thirty-seven to eighty-eight years). Fifty-two patients (seventy-six knees) were female, and thirty-four patients (forty-three knees) were male. The patients were evaluated with clinical knee ratings and radiographic analysis nine to twelve years following the knee replacement.

Results: At the time of the nine to twelve-year follow-up, sixty-four patients (eighty-six knees) were alive, eighteen patients (twenty-eight knees) had died, and four patients (five knees) had been lost to follow-up. Of the 114 knees in the eighty-two patients for whom the final outcome was known, none required a reoperation and none had a dislocation of the mobile-bearing prosthesis. For the forty-five patients (sixty-six knees) who returned for final clinical and radiographic follow-up examinations at nine to twelve years, the average clinical and functional Knee Society ratings were 30 points (range, 2 to 70 points) and 44 points (range, 0 to 80 points) preoperatively and 90 points (range, 63 to 102 points) and 75 points (range, 30 to 100 points) at the final follow-up evaluation. The average Hospital for Special Surgery knee rating was 57 points (range, 28 to 80 points) preoperatively and 84 points (range, 59 to 97 points) at the final follow-up evaluation. The average active range of knee flexion was from 0 degrees (range, 0 to 10 degrees) to 102 degrees (range, 15 to 120 degrees) at the final follow-up evaluation. Seven of the sixty-six knees were painful anteriorly. There was no periprosthetic osteolysis and no evidence of loosening on follow-up radiographs.

Conclusions: After nine to twelve years of follow-up, the cemented LCS rotating-platform knee replacement was found to be performing well, with durable clinical and radiographic results.