Preoperative Valgus Alignment Does Not Predict Inferior Outcome of Total Knee Arthroplasty. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • BACKGROUND: Preoperative valgus deformity is present in an estimated 10-20% of patients undergoing total knee replacement (TKR). QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: The objective of this study was to compare the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) scores after TKR in a matched cohort of patients with preoperative valgus and varus deformities. METHODS: This is a matched cohort study of 162 patients with varus native knees and 162 patients with valgus native knees who underwent TKR and were prospectively followed in our institutional registry. Patients matched were based on age, BMI, sex, and severity of preoperative knee deformity, which was classified as mild, moderate, severe varus or valgus, or no deformity. Outcomes were evaluated using the WOMAC preoperatively and at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. RESULTS: No significant difference was found between the matched varus and valgus cohorts in all WOMAC subdomain scores except for a marginally worse stiffness at 1 year in patients with valgus deformity (WOMAC stiffness, 75.1 varus vs. 70.1 valgus; P = 0.049). This is below the minimal clinically important difference for WOMAC scores. There was no significant difference in postoperative varus/valgus alignment between the two groups (P = 0.092). CONCLUSION: We found no clinically significant difference in any of the WOMAC domains in patients with preoperative varus deformity versus valgus deformity within the first year after TKR. These findings may allow surgeons to more appropriately counsel patients with osteoarthritis with valgus deformity that they can expect similar outcomes compared to patients with varus deformity.

publication date

  • September 12, 2017

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC5786588

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 24644494147

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.2106/00004623-200509001-00010

PubMed ID

  • 29398995

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 14

issue

  • 1