title: Mobile- versus fixed-bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.
abstract: Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty using either a mobile- or fixed-bearing technique is an attractive alternative to osteotomy or total knee arthroplasty in selected patients with osteoarthritis. Both techniques appear to yield equivalent early results. Mobile-bearing articulations have the advantage of allowing a metal-backed component to be used with a composite thickness as thin as 6 mm. They also offer the potential for decreased long-term wear complications because of the high conformity of the articulation. The longevity of fixed-bearing components will likely be improved in the future with better prosthetic designs and improved polyethylene to minimize the incidence of late wear complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brigham and Women's and New England Baptist Hospitals, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Scott
mesh_terms: D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000379:methods*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D007720:Knee Prosthesis; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016474:Weight-Bearing