title: [Follow-up studies after bicondylar superficial replacement of rheumatoid knee joint destruction].
abstract: This study documents prospectively the Knee Society knee- and function score of 28 patients with rheumatoid arthritis with 34 PFC unconstrained total knee arthroplasties from preoperative values on at yearly intervals. The average follow-up period was 3.4 years (range 2-5.5 y). At last follow-up over 80% of the knees were painfree. All but one patient could walk more than 500 m. Knee and function score increased significantly from 30.1 resp. 35.0 to 83.8 resp. 74.6 (P < 0.000001). Postoperatively the knee score rose soon to a constant level whereas the function score showed a continuous slow increase up to 5 years. We observed one deep venous thrombosis and one subluxation. At an intermediate follow-up rheumatoid knees are clinically and functionally successfully operated on using an unconstrained TKA. Pain relief is excellent. We recommend the use of a scoring system assessing knee and functional results separately.
authors.affiliation: Orthopädische Universitätsklinik, König-Ludwig-Haus, Würzburg.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: König
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scheidler
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gohlke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000601:surgery*; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome