Unicompartimental or total knee replacement? - Five year results of a prospective randomised trial of 102 osteoarthritic knees with unicompartimental arthritis
John H Newman MD, Christopher E Ackroyd MD, Nilen A. Shah MD From the Avon Orthopedic Centre, Bristol, England

Abstract — We randomised 102 knees suitable for a unicompartmental replacement [partial knee resurfacing] to receive either a unicompartmental (UKR) or total knee replacement (TKR) after arthrotomy. Both groups were well matched with a predominance of females and a mean age of 69 years. Patients in the UKR group showed less perioperative morbidity, but regained knee movement more rapidly and were discharged from hospital sooner. At five years, two PKRs and one TKR had been revised; another TKR was radiologically loose. All other knees appeared to be clinically and radiologically sound. Pain relief was good in both groups but the number of knees able to flex >120' was significantly higher in the PKR group (p < 0.001) and there were more excellent results in this group. Our findings have shown that PKR gives better results than TKR and that this superiority is maintained for at least five years.
 
The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (Br),1998 , no 80-B, pgs 862-5