Factors influencing walking and stairclimbing following unicompartmental knee arthroplasty

The authors quantitatively evaluated the relationship between component placement, limb alignment, and function following unicompartmental knee replacement surgery. It was found that anatomic alignment, prosthetic positioning, and prosthetic design influence the patients' ability to walk and climb stairs. There was wide variation in the placement of the tibial and femoral component among patients. The placement of the femoral component corresponded directly to function during stairclimbing and level walking. Anterior malpositioning of the femoral component resulted in reduced ability to climb stairs. The tibial component position varied primarily in varus-valgus position. Varus-valgus alignment in the frontal plane correlated directly with the magnitude of the adduction moment during level walking. A varus alignment produced a twofold increase in the magnitude of the adduction moment at the knee during walking. Given the potential advantages of the unicompartmental knee, improved precision in component placement should improve the long-term results of hemiarthroplasty knee surgery.