Overall , there was a notable enhancement of joint function after the procedure , with a satisfactory mid- and long-term survival of the ceramic components , which is comparable to that of the conventional alloy components reported previously .
However , revision due to aseptic loosening , wear , and component fracture appeared to be rare , demonstrating the safety of in vivo use of ceramic bearings in the TKA procedure .
Conclusions Ceramic TKA implants show similar post-operative clinical results and survival rate compared to their conventional metallic counterparts .
Our results confirmed the safety of in vivo use of ceramic bearings in TKA , with rare implant breakage and aseptic loosening .
Purpose Ceramic bearings have been widely used in total hip arthroplasty ( THA ) , which result ed in satisfactory clinical outcomes due to the excellent tribological characteristics of the implants .
However , ceramic components are not commonly used in total knee arthroplasty ( TKA ) because of brittleness .
This study aim ed to gather and analyze information regarding the clinical outcomes ( including survival without revision , causes of revision , functional outcome , and incidence of loosening ) and reach a definitive conclusion about the use of ceramic femoral components in total knee arthroplasty .
Total knee arthroplasty with an oxidised zirconium femoral component: ten-year survivorship analysis.
AIMS Oxidised zirconium was introduced as a material for femoral components in total knee arthroplasty ( TKA ) as an attempt to reduce polyethylene wear . However , the long-term survival of this component is not known . METHODS We performed a retrospective review of a prospect ively collected data base to assess the ten year survival and clinical and radiological outcomes of an oxidised zirconium total knee arthroplasty with the Genesis II prosthesis . The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index ( WOMAC ) , Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score ( KOOS ) and a patient satisfaction scale were used to assess outcome . RESULTS A total of 303 consecutive TKAs were performed in 278 patients with a mean age of 68 years ( 45 to 89 ) . The rate of survival ten years post-operatively as assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis was 97 % ( 95 % confidence interval 94 to 99 ) with revision for any reason as the endpoint . There were no revisions for loosening , osteolysis or failure of the implant . There was a significant improvement in all components of the WOMAC score at final follow-up ( p < 0.001 ) . The mean individual components of the KOOS score for symptoms ( 82.4 points ; 36 to 100 ) , pain ( 87.5 points ; 6 to 100 ) , activities of daily life ( 84.9 points ; 15 to 100 ) and quality of life ( 71.4 points ; 6 to 100 ) were all at higher end of the scale . DISCUSSION This study provides further supportive evidence that the oxidised zirconium TKA gives comparable rates of survival with other implants and excellent functional outcomes ten years post-operatively . TAKE HOME MESSAGE Total knee arthroplasty with an oxidised zirconium femoral component gives comparable long-term rates of survival and functional outcomes with conventional implants
Overall , there was a notable enhancement of joint function after the procedure , with a satisfactory mid- and long-term survival of the ceramic components , which is comparable to that of the conventional alloy components reported previously .
However , revision due to aseptic loosening , wear , and component fracture appeared to be rare , demonstrating the safety of in vivo use of ceramic bearings in the TKA procedure .
Conclusions Ceramic TKA implants show similar post-operative clinical results and survival rate compared to their conventional metallic counterparts .
Our results confirmed the safety of in vivo use of ceramic bearings in TKA , with rare implant breakage and aseptic loosening .
Purpose Ceramic bearings have been widely used in total hip arthroplasty ( THA ) , which result ed in satisfactory clinical outcomes due to the excellent tribological characteristics of the implants .
However , ceramic components are not commonly used in total knee arthroplasty ( TKA ) because of brittleness .
This study aim ed to gather and analyze information regarding the clinical outcomes ( including survival without revision , causes of revision , functional outcome , and incidence of loosening ) and reach a definitive conclusion about the use of ceramic femoral components in total knee arthroplasty .