A comparison of total and unicompartmental arthroplasty for the treatment of gonarthrosis.
Rougraff BT, Heck DA, Gibson AE

Abstract — Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46202. An historical prospective study was performed to compare two surgical management alternatives in the treatment of patients with knee arthritis. There were 120 unicompartmental and 81 total knee arthroplasties in 98 and 66 patients, respectively. All living patients were available for follow-up observation, and survivorship data on all arthroplasties were obtained. The average follow-up interval was 78 months (range, eight-162 months) in the unicompartmental series and 68 months (range, two- 186 months) in the total group. Patients receiving the unicompartmental arthroplasty were treated with nonmetal-backed polyethylene tibial components. Prosthetic survivorship was 92% at ten years in the unicompartmental patient group. There were no statistically significant differences in aseptic loosening between these two patient groups. In appropriately selected patients unicompartmental arthroplasty was associated with better range of motion and ambulatory function than patients being treated with total knee replacement.
 
Clinical Orthopaedics, (367):50-60, October 1999