Do Knee Osteoarthritis Patterns Affect Patient-Reported Outcomes in Total Knee Arthroplasty? Results from an International Multicenter Prospective Study with 3-Year Follow-Up

BACKGROUND The aim of this multicenter study is to answer (1) Does patellofemoral osteoarthritis (OA) affect preoperative Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) scores in total knee arthroplasty (TKA)? and (2) Do different OA patterns affect preoperative and postoperative KOOS scores in TKA? METHODS This international, multicenter prospective study examined 384 TKA patients. Compartmental OA was divided into (1) medial, (2) medial + patellofemoral, (3) lateral, (4) lateral + patellofemoral, (5) medial + lateral (bicompartmental), and (6) medial + lateral + patellofemoral (tricompartmental), based on preoperative anterior-posterior and lateral ± skyline radiographs with Kellgren-Lawrence grade III-IV and joint space width .15). Compared to medial ± patellofemoral OA patients, bicompartmental/tricompartmental OA patients had less preoperative pain (KOOS Pain 7.4, P = .03) and higher daily function (KOOS-ADL [Activities of Daily Living] 7.1, P = .05), and higher 1-year postoperative daily function (KOOS-ADL 9.2, P = .03) and sports activity (KOOS Sports & Recreation Function 15.0, P = .04), while lateral ± patellofemoral OA patients had more symptoms (KOOS-Symptoms 7.0, P < .01), more pain (KOOS-Pain 7.5, P = .01), lower daily function (KOOS-ADL 9.3, P < .01), and lower quality of life (KOOS-QOL 9.0, P = .04), at 3 years postoperatively. CONCLUSION Patellofemoral OA does not affect medial ± lateral OA patients' preoperative KOOS scores, challenging the importance of patellofemoral OA in TKA. Lateral ± patellofemoral OA patients have lower postoperative KOOS scores than medial/more progressed compartmental OA patients, indicating that patients with less common OA patterns present with unique surgical challenges. Further development of indications for and correct timing of TKA surgery in different patient subgroups is needed.