Surgical Technique of Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) for Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the first choice to restore the joint function of the ankylosing knee in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. For patients who are not ankylotic, the surgery usually works very well. Even though the TKA surgery could improve the joint function greatly in the patients who are ankylotic, for the reason of decreased elasticity of involved soft tissues affected by ankylosing spondylitis, it usually could not restore knee kinematics as well as normal level. We should assess the joint status carefully and pre-estimate the operation result exactly, and an adequate preoperative conversation could make the patients understand the benefits and limitations of their surgeries.