Rotating Platform Knees: An Emerging Clinical Standard: In Opposition

As surgeons, we share the common goals of making total knee arthroplasty as reliable, as reproducible, and as durable as we can. For that reason, we are almost compelled to investigate the rotating platform knee because of the contentions that it might improve patellar tracking, decrease lateral release rates, improve flexion, or perhaps give better wear characteristics over the long term. But when we take a step back and carefully examine the scientific data from 20 years of clinical experience with the rotating platform knee, the data speak for itself. To date, there are no demonstrated clinical advantages in regard to wear, survivorship, kinematics, range of motion, or patellar function. The rotating platform design then is really just another knee design, clinically indistinguishable from many well-functioning, fixed-bearing total knee designs.