The Effects of Primary Implant Bearing Design on the Complexity of Revision Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty

Comparisons of fixed- (FB) and mobile-bearing (MB) implants have failed to demonstrate a superiority of one design over the other. Despite showing equally successful outcomes, the wear patterns and small particulate debris associated with MB implants have been linked to an increased prevalence of osteolysis. This study compared the complexity of revision surgery for both bearing types. Operative time, use of augmentation and/or bone grafts, and the level of constraint required during revision were used to assess complexity. It was found that MB knees more frequently required tibial augmentation in our sample population (P = 0.020), but overall surgical complexity was equivalent for revisions of both implant designs. These data suggest that additional research pertaining to the potential differences between implants be investigated.