Patellofemoral arthroplasty (PFA) is an alternative to a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients with severe isolated patellofemoral osteoarthritis. The main goal of this study was to determine the revision rate of the Hermes™ (Ceraver) anatomical unconstrained PFA.
A retrospective single surgeon study was performed including all patients operated for PFA between 1997 and 2015. A standardized procedure was used to perform PFA with one type of prosthesis. All patients in the study were contacted at the final follow-up. The main judgment criterion was the annual rate of revision. Secondary criteria were the severity of anterior knee pain on a numerical scale (0–10) and functional scores (IKS and AKP scores).
During this period, PFA was performed in 64 patients (74 PFA), 52 women/12 men, mean age at surgery 59.6 ± 11.8 (31.3–82.1) years old. Four patients (5.4% of PFA) were lost to follow-up. Mean follow-up for the remaining 70 PFA was 7.5 ± 7.1 (2–20) years. TKA was required in 10 (14.3%) patients after a mean 5.4 ± 3.4 (1–9.3) years. The annual rate of revision was two-percent CI95% [1.1–3.7%] if TKA was considered to be the defining event and 3.1% CI95% [1.9–5.1%] for all types of revision (partial/total PFA replacement or TKA). Patients who underwent revision were significantly younger. After a mean eight (2–20) years of follow-up, mean anterior pain, the IKS and AKP scores improved significantly.
In this series, 78.6% of patients with a Hermes™ PFA did not require any revision after a follow-up of between two and 20 years.
Level IV — retrospective study.