Long-Term Functional Outcomes and Quality of Life at Minimum 10-Year Follow-Up After Fixed-Bearing Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty and Total Knee Arthroplasty for Isolated Medial Compartment Osteoarthritis

The aim of this study is to compare the long-term functional outcome and quality of life between total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and fixed-bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) for the treatment of isolated medial compartment osteoarthritis.

Between 2000 and 2008, a total of 218 patients underwent primary UKA at our tertiary hospital. A TKA group was matched through 1:1 propensity score matching and adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, preoperative knee flexion, and function scores. All patients had medial compartment osteoarthritis. The patients were assessed with the range of motion, Knee Society Knee Score and Knee Society Function Score, Oxford Knee Score, Short Form-36 physical component score (PCS) and mental component score preoperatively, at 6 months, 2 years, and 10 years. Patients’ satisfaction, expectation fulfillment, and minimal clinically important difference were analyzed.

There were no differences in baseline characteristics between groups after propensity score matching (P > .05). UKA had greater knee flexion at all time points. Although the Knee Society Function Score was superior in UKA by 5.5, 3, and 4.3 points at 6 months, 2 years, and 10 years, respectively (P < .001), these differences did not exceed the minimal clinically important difference (Knee Society Knee Score 6.1). There were no significant differences in the Oxford Knee Score and Short Form-36 physical component score/mental component score. At 10 years, similar proportions of UKA and TKA were satisfied (90.8% vs 89.9%, P = .44) and had expectation fulfillment (89.4% vs 88.5%, P = .46). Between 2 and 10 years, all function scores deteriorated significantly for both groups (P < .01).

UKA and TKA are excellent treatment modalities for isolated medial compartment osteoarthritis, with similar functional outcomes, quality of life, and satisfaction at 10 years.