Researchers question idea of durability relating to mechanical alignment of TKA


Study suggests that mechanical axis may not be the best computer-assisted target for TKA: Total knee arthroplasty surgeries assessed as being in proper mechanical alignment based on postoperative radiographs were found to have no-better 15-year survivorship than outliers, according to results of a new study. Mark W. Pagnano, MD Mark W. Pagnano From these findings investigators concluded that focusing on the mechanical axis when performing computer-assisted total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may not lead to improved long-term survivorship. The investigators, mostly from the Mayo Clinic, said in their abstract they were surprised the outliers had somewhat better survival. “Patients who were aligned relative to the mechanical axis had a 15.4% prevalence of failure. So-called outliers had a 13% chance,” said Mark W. Pagnano, MD, who presented results of the retrospective investigation here during the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 75th Annual Meeting.

Source: OrthoSupersite (21 May 2008)
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