The total femoropatellar joint replacement - Recommendable this day's?

Purpose: Aim of this study was the examination of clinical middle- and long -term results of total femoropatellar endoprostheses type Lubinus (Link, Ge rmany). Method: From 1983 to 1996 12 patients (15 joints) underwent total f emoropatellar joint replacement (type Lubinus, Link, Hamburg). All of them have been controlled 7.2 +/- 2.6 years (2 to 12 years) after surgery. The i ndication was primary osteoarthritis in 6, chondrocalcinosis in 2 and rheum atoid arthritis in 7 cases. In addition to the femoropatellar implants femo rotibial endoprostheses have been used in 10 knees: 2 unicondylar medial, 1 unicondylar lateral and 7 bicondylar unicompartimental ones. Results: Acco rding to a modified Hungerford knee rating scale 8 knees resulted excellent , 2 fair and 4 poor. One knee was excluded after revision surgery due to a loosened tibial component of a medial unicompartimental knee arthroplasty. The 4 poor outcomes resulted from femoropatellar replacements in chondrocal cinosis (2 cases), rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, (one case each) , affecting the femorotibial joint as well. Conclusions: In those cases of simultaneous femorotibial joint affection - even if this is merely slight a nd beginning and if the femoropatellar complaints are actually clearly domi nating - the sole femoropatellar surface replacement seems to be contraindi cated according to our experiences. Providing correct and strict indication s this endoprosthesis can be recommended for sole femoropatellar osteoarthr itis especially since loosening of endoprosthetic components was not been f ound in this study.