Conversion Total Knee Arthroplasty

Abstract

»: Conversion total knee arthroplasty (TKA) represents a heterogeneous group of procedures and most commonly includes TKA performed after ligamentous reconstruction, periarticular open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), high tibial osteotomy (HTO), and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA).

»: Relative to patients undergoing primary TKA, patients undergoing conversion TKA often have longer operative times and higher surgical complexity, which may translate into higher postoperative complication rates.

»: There is mixed evidence on implant survivorship and patient-reported outcome measures when comparing conversion TKA and primary TKA, with some studies noting no differences between the procedures and others finding decreased survivorship and outcome scores for conversion TKA.

»: By gaining an improved understanding of the unique challenges facing patients undergoing conversion TKA, clinicians may better set patient expectations, make intraoperative adjustments, and guide postoperative care.