Lateral uni-compartmental knee replacement: current concepts and future directions

Uni-compartmental knee replacement (UKR) is an attractive surgical option for the treatment of single compartment femoro-tibial osteoarthritis. While UKR for medial compartment arthritis is a well-established procedure with an excellent track record, UKR for lateral compartment arthritis has seen more limited success and remains a challenging operation, even in the hands of experienced arthroplasty surgeons. Despite this, several studies have now reported satisfactory mid- and long-term results with lateral UKR in appropriately selected patients. A better understanding of the aetiology and biomechanics of lateral compartment arthritis, as well as an appreciation for the technical challenges unique to lateral UKR, are likely to lead to improved outcomes with this procedure. The purpose of this level 4 study is to highlight the current concepts surrounding lateral UKR, to review the current body of literature, and to explore future directions for improving the results of lateral UKR.