title: [Total knee arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Approximately 90% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) will have one or both knees involved during the course of the disease. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) allows restoring function and relieving pain satisfactorily, but these patients perform in a different way than those with primary knee osteoarthritis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical and radiographic results of TKA in patients with RA.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed retrospectively the data of 25 posterior stabilized total knee prostheses in 19 patients, available to an average follow-up of 6 years. The scores of Hospital for Special Surgery and of the Knee Society were used for clinical assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean Hospital for Special Surgery score increased from 44 points (range 27-58) preoperatively to 80 points (range 58-91) at the final follow-up examination. Two prostheses required revision and removal of the implants because of deep infection, and two had clinical failure as defined by the Knee Society score. There were no cases of implant loosening.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even though it is not free of complications, TKA is a good choice in patients with RA in the medium term follow up, with 80% of excellent and good results in our series.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ortopedia y Traumatología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. amenabar@med.puc.cl
authors.forename: Pedro Pablo
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Amenábar
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carrión
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Apablaza
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paulos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies
vernacular_title: Artroplastia total de rodilla en pacientes con artritis reumatoide.