Arthroscopic-assisted focal resurfacing of the knee: surgical technique and preliminary results of 13 patients at 2 years follow-up

Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2011 May;19(5):740-6. doi: 10.1007/s00167-010-1345-4. Epub 2010 Dec 15.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe an arthroscopic-assisted surgical technique for focal resurfacing of medial tibio-femoral compartment and to present the preliminary clinical and radiographic results in a case series of 13 consecutive patients at a mean follow-up of 29 months.

Methods: All patients were treated with the presented procedure for Ahlback grade 3 medial compartment osteoarthritis. Subjective evaluation was based on a visual analog scale for pain self-assessment. Objective clinical evaluation was based on Hospital for Special Surgery score. Range of motion was evaluated with a manual goniometer. Radiographic evaluation compared hip-knee-ankle angle pre- and post-operatively.

Results: Clinical and functional results were satisfactory. Hospital for Special Surgery score and visual analog scale for pain self-assessment showed significant improvements (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0002, respectively). ROM and axial alignment were not significantly different respect to pre-operative values.

Conclusions: Despite the small sample size and short follow-up, this study has shown that an arthroscopic-assisted focal resurfacing of the knee in selected cases can be a viable option for early onset degenerative joint disease, providing satisfactory pain relief and good functional results at 2 years follow-up.

Level of evidence: Retrospective case series, Level IV.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Arthroscopy / methods*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Osteoarthritis, Knee / diagnostic imaging
  • Osteoarthritis, Knee / surgery*
  • Pain Measurement
  • Radiography
  • Range of Motion, Articular
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Treatment Outcome