Isolated Tibial Component Failure in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Series Evaluating Inflammatory Response versus Mechanical Failure

J Knee Surg DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1666831Total knee prostheses are routinely redesigned to improve performance, longevity, and to closer mimic the native kinematics of the knee. Despite continued improvements, all knee implants, even those with proven design features, have failures. We identified a cohort of patients with isolated tibial component failures that occurred in a popular and successful knee system. Our purpose was to (1) characterize the observed radiographic failure pattern; (2) investigate the biologic response that may have contributed to the failure; and (3) to determine if the failure mechanism was of a biological or a mechanical nature. Twenty-one knees from 19 patients met the inclusion criteria of isolated tibial component failure in a single knee implant system. Radiographs from the primary and revision knee surgery were analyzed for implant positioning and the failure pattern. Inflammatory biomarkers interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were available in 16/21 knees and peripheral CD14+/16+ monocytes were measured in 14 of the aforementioned 16 knee revisions. Serum CD3, CD4, and CD19 were measured in 10 of the aforementioned 14 knees. Additionally, white blood cell (WBC) count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured to rule out infection as a cause of the cytokine upregulation. Radiographic findings demonstrated that all of the 21 tibial components were implanted in either neutral or 2 to...
Source: Journal of Knee Surgery - Category: Orthopaedics Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research