Riassunto dello studio

Two hundred and twenty eight patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis scheduled for a primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with patellar resurfacing were randomized to receive intraoperative patellar denervation (n=114) or no patellar denervation (n=114). The primary outcome of interest was the incidence of anterior knee pain postoperatively. Secondary outcomes of interest included the intensity of anterior knee pain, postoperative range of motion, the Knee Society Score (KSS), the Oxford Knee Score (OKS), patellar score, patient satisfaction score, activities of daily living (ADL) score, pain scores and postoperative radiographic alignment data. All outcomes were assessed at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months postoperatively. The results of the study demonstrated significantly lower incidence of anterior knee pain in the patellar denervation group and reduced intensity of anterior knee pain while improving patient satisfaction at 3 months. There was no significant differences between the two groups for all other outcomes, at all time points.