CLINICAL AND FUNCTIONAL COURSE OF UNCONSTRAINED TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTIES IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

This study documents prospectively the Knee Society knee- and function score of 28 patients with rheumatoid arthritis with 34 PFC unconstrai ned total knee arthroplasties from preoperative values on at yearly in tervals. The average follow-up period was 3.4 years (range 2-5.5 y). A t last follow-up over 80% of the knees were painfree. All but one pati ent could walk more than 500 m. Knee and function score increased sign ificantly from 30.1 resp. 35.0 to 83.8 resp. 74.6 (P<0.000001). Postop eratively the knee score rose soon to a constant level whereas the fun ction score showed a continuous slow increase up to 5 years. We observ ed one deep venous thrombosis and one subluxation. At an intermediate follow-up rheumatoid I;nees are clinically and functionally successful ly operated on using an unconstrained TKA. Pain relief is excellent, W e recommend the use of a scoring system assessing knee and functional results separately.