Kinematic comparison of posterior cruciate sacrifice versus substitution in a mobile bearing total knee arthroplasty

Interest in mobile bearing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has increased significantly. The objective of this in vivo study was to analyze 2 different mobile bearing TKAs during gait and during a knee bend from 0° to 90° flexion. Femorotibial contact positions for 10 subjects, implanted by a single surgeon, were analyzed using videofluoroscopy. Five subjects were implanted with a posterior-stabilized mobile bearing TKA (PS), and 5 subjects were implanted with a posterior cruciate–sacrificing mobile bearing TKA (PCS). Each subject, while under fluoroscopic surveillance, performed 2 weight-bearing activities: i) normal gait and ii) deep-knee bend. This study showed that the kinematic patterns for subjects having either a PS or PCS mobile bearing TKA were similar during gait but different during a deep-knee bend. Subjects having a PS TKA experienced more posterior femoral rollback of the lateral condyle during the deep-knee bend. Findings of kinematic similarities in gait and differences in a deep-knee bend between these 2 mobile bearing designs are similar to previously published findings of fixed bearing posterior cruciate–retaining and PS TKA. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.