Abstract
Although it has been shown that mobile- and fixed-bearing (FB) prostheses yield equivalent
functional outcomes, wear patterns and debris types associated with mobile-bearing
(MB) knees have been correlated to an increased prevalence of osteolysis. The complexity
of revision surgery was compared between both designs. Several markers, including
operative time, use of augmentation, bone grafts, and level of constraint, were analyzed.
Data support that for failed total knee arthroplasty, there is a significant difference
in mean time to revision between the MB (54.7 months) and FB types (80.6 months) (p ≤ 0.0001). MB knees more frequently required hinged implants during revision, potentially
increasing the complexity of the procedure. This study raises concern for use of the
MB implants, especially in younger patients who are more likely to require a future
revision.
Keywords
revision total knee arthroplasty - complexity - mobile-bearing - fixed-bearing - osteolysis