title: The intra-operative joint gap in cruciate-retaining compared with posterior-stabilised total knee replacement.
abstract: We have developed a new tensor for total knee replacements which is designed to assist with soft-tissue balancing throughout the full range of movement with a reduced patellofemoral joint. Using this tensor in 40 patients with osteoarthritis we compared the intra-operative joint gap in cruciate-retaining and posterior-stabilised total knee replacements at 0 degrees , 10 degrees , 45 degrees , 90 degrees and 135 degrees of flexion, with the patella both everted and reduced. While the measurement of the joint gap with a reduced patella in posterior-stabilised knees increased from extension to flexion, it remained constant for cruciate-retaining joints throughout a full range of movement. The joint gaps at deep knee flexion were significantly smaller for both types of prosthetic knee when the patellofemoral joint was reduced (p < 0.05).
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan. mastun@m4.dion.ne.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Muratsu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurosaka