A Prospective, Single-Center, Randomized Controlled Study Comparing Non-Resurfacing versus Resurfacing in a Cohort of 250 Posterior-Stabilized Total Knee Arthroplasty With a Minimum Five-Year Follow-Up.

Study Summary

250 knees in 245 patients undergoing primary posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty (TKA) were randomized to receive patellar resurfacing (PR) or patellar non-resurfacing (PNR). At the 5-year follow-up, 213 knees (109 PR and 104 PNR) were available for analysis. The primary outcome of interest was clinical function assessed using the Knee Society Score (KSS). Secondary outcomes included the Forgotten Joint Score (FJS), Kujala score, Lille score for anterior knee pain, range of motion, radiological progression of patellofemoral osteoarthritis, complications, revision rates, and implant survival. Outcomes were assessed over a minimum follow-up of 5 years. Overall, the results of the study revealed no significant differences between patellar resurfacing and non-resurfacing in clinical outcomes, anterior knee pain, complication rates, revision rates, or implant survival. These findings suggest that routine patellar resurfacing offers no clear long-term advantage when using modern patella-friendly posterior-stabilized total knee implants.