Original ArticleThe Role of Flexion Contracture on Outcomes in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty
Section snippets
Materials and Methods
A joint arthroplasty database was used to retrospectively examine all the TKAs done at the author's institution between 1973 and 2002. There were 5622 primary TKAs during this period that had documented knee extension values preoperatively and at least 3 years postoperatively. For those patients with multiple follow-up visits, their most recent follow-up measurements were used in the data analysis. The variables of knee extension, walking ability, stair climbing ability, knee pain scores, knee
Results
Preoperative extension between 5° flexion contracture and +9° of hyperextension occurred in 62.1% of preoperative knees (Table 1). These knees were significantly less likely to have a postoperative flexion contracture of 10° or more compared with knees with a preoperative flexion contracture of 6° or more (35.0% of preoperative knees) (Table 2, Fig. 1). In addition, knees with a preoperative hyperextension recurvatum of +10° or greater had an increased incidence of a postoperative flexion
Discussion
Previous knee extension data have shown that patients with large flexion contractures preoperatively are more likely to experience a flexion contracture postoperatively [8]. Our study, involving 5622 knees, has shown that the greater the severity of the preoperative flexion contracture, the greater the chance of incurring a postoperative flexion contracture (Table 2, Fig. 1). We also observed that a large degree of hyperextension recurvatum preoperatively led to an increased incidence of
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No benefits or funds were received in support of the study.