The Natural History of Radiolucencies following Uncemented Total Knee Replacement at 9 Years

Abstract Introduction Aseptic loosening remains a common cause of failure in TKA. There is an increased interest in using uncemented TKA to reduce this complication. Radiolucencies (RL) following uncemented TKA can be concerning. We report on the 9-year history of radiolucencies in patients with uncemented TKA. Methods 21 patients (26 knees) were treated with a CR fully porous coated femur / tibia and cemented patella. At final follow-up, 17 patients (22 knees) were available for review. Average follow-up was 9.6 years, average age was 59.1 and average BMI was 34.1. X-rays were taken at 6 weeks, 1 year and at final follow up. RL were measured using the Knee Society scoring (KSS) system and read by two separate surgeons. Results At six-weeks, we identified RL in all patients on both the tibia and femur. The majority were beneath the tibial tray and femoral champfer. At one year, 4 femurs and 4 tibias showed new radiolucencies ( Conclusion Radiolucencies are common following uncemented TKA. Many resolve by one year. There does not appear to be any association between the presence of radiolucencies and long-term follow up function in this group of patients.