Medial femoral condyle restoration technique in total knee arthroplasty.

Study Summary

126 patients with varus knee osteoarthritis undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) were randomized to receive the medial femoral condyle restoration (MFCR) technique (n=64 patients, 71 knees) or conventional mechanical alignment (MA) technique (n=62 patients, 69 knees). The outcomes of interest included perioperative outcomes and postoperative functional recovery, intraoperative blood loss, operative time, medial release time, hospital stay, range of motion, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, walking Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score, and postoperative complications. Outcomes were assessed up to 2 years postoperatively. Overall, the results of the study revealed that MFCR was associated with less blood loss, shorter operative time, shorter medial release time, shorter hospital stay, and better 2-year WOMAC and walking pain scores compared with conventional MA. These findings suggest that MFCR may reduce perioperative burden and improve early functional recovery in varus TKA while minimizing medial soft tissue release.