Total knee arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis - An overview

Total knee arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis presents seve ral unique challenges. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis often have additi onal medical, anesthetic, and global musculoskeletal problems that are not present in the patient with osteoarthritis. In terms of the knee, these pat ients usually have osteopenia and may present with an array of bone and sof t tissue deformities, each of which can impact the initial success and long term durability of a total knee replacement. Despite these potential diffi culties, the early and long term results of total knee arthroplasty in pati ents with rheumatoid arthritis have proven to be excellent.