Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Early functional recovery following bilateral total knee replacement or selective unilateral after total knee arthroplasty are still controversial.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the function recovery differences of patients with osteoarthritis knees after bilateral total knee replacement or selective unilateral total knee replacement.
METHODS: 86 cases with osteoarthritis (116 knees) performed first line total knee replacement were divided into the bilateral total knee replacement group (n=29, 58 knees), and unilateral total knee replacement group (n=57, 57 knees). Preoperative and postoperative range of motion (ROM), flexion contracture, muscle strength, pain score, leg-length discrepancy and HSS ratings were compared, and the incidence of complications were recorded.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: There were no significances between two groups in ROM and muscle strength at 1 year follow-up (P=0.171, 0.418); Postoperative flexion contracture, pain score, and leg-length discrepancy of the bilateral total knee replacement group were obviously lower than those of the unilateral total knee replacement group (P=0.026, 0.0013, 0.026); meanwhile, the postoperative HSS score of the bilateral total knee replacement group was superior to the unilateral total knee replacement group (P=0.003). It is suggested that bilateral total knee replacement is superior to the unilateral total knee replacement in flexion contracture, pain score, leg-length discrepancy and HSS ratings, but there is no obviously difference in ROM and muscle strength.