Alternative femoral bearing surface options for knee replacement in young patients

Total knee arthroplasty is one of the most successful and one of the most effective treatments for osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Long-term studies of selected patient cohorts, and the Scandinavian knee registries, have demonstrated high survivorship rates after more than 15 years. On the basis of this success, total knee replacement is being performed increasingly in younger and more active patients. However, there are at least two problems that a young or active patient faces with regard to the prosthetic joint. First, the use of the implant is more intense and secondly the patient’s life expectancy is longer and the potential total number of loading cycles is increased proportionally.