REVISION TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY AFTER FAILED UNICOMPARTMENTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY OR HIGH TIBIAL OSTEOTOMY

A retrospective matched-pair comparative analysis was done between 30 total knee arthroplasties following failed high tibial osteotomies and 30 total knee arthroplasties following failed unicompartmental knee a rthroplasties. The groups were matched according to age, gender, type of prosthesis, primary disease, and length of followup. A minimum foll owup of 2 years was required for inclusion in the study, and the avera ge followup was 3.8 years (range, 2-9 years). The Knee Society Knee Sc ore for the high tibial osteotomy group was significantly higher than that for the unicompartmental arthroplasty group. More osseous reconst ructions were required in the unicompartmental revisions, Difficulty w ith exposure was not significantly greater in the osteotomy group, Rat es of component loosening were not significantly different between the groups. A failed unicompartmental knee arthroplasty and a failed high tibial osteotomy can be revised successfully to a total knee arthropl asty. The results confirm that revisions after unicondylar arthroplast y and high tibial osteotomy are technically demanding. In this series, the results of total knee arthroplasty following unicompartmental kne e arthroplasty approached but did not equal those obtained after high tibial osteotomy.