Mobile-bearing unicompartmental knee

Abstract

Anteromedial wear is the most common pattern of knee arthritis in patients with intact ACL. Surgical options in this patient population include high tibial osteotomy (HTO), total knee arthroplasty (TKA), or unicompartmental arthroplasty (UKA). UKA offers the advantage of preserving native knee ligaments, faster recovery from surgery, as well as good short-term and long-term survival. The patellofemoral joint can often be ignored in these patients, with good survivorship of mobile-bearing UKA even in patients with more advanced patellofemoral disease. Traditional indications for UKA have limited this surgery to older, low-demand patients with lower weight. Using more liberal indications, UKA has shown good success in younger, active patients with higher body mass index (BMI). This chapter outlines the indications, surgical technique, and outcomes using a mobile-bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.