The Role of Severe Lateral Facet Patellar Osteoarthritis in Patient Selection for Success of a Medial Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty: Mean Follow-Up of 10 Years

Lateral facet patellar osteoarthritis (LFPOA) has been reported as a contraindication for medial unicompartmental (UKA). The purpose of this paper was to determine if severe LFPOA was related to lower survivorship and patient-reported outcomes following medial UKA. A total of 170 medial UKAs were performed. Severe LFPOA was defined as Outerbridge grade 3 to 4 damage on the lateral facet cartilage surfaces of the patella as noted intraoperatively. There were 122 of 170 patients (72%) who had noLFPOA and 48 of 170 patients (28%) who had had severe LFPOA. A routine patelloplasty was performed in all patients. Patients completed the Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12) Mental Component Score (MCS) and Physical Component Score (PCS), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and Knee Society Score. There were 4 patients in the noLFPOA group who required total knee arthroplasty and 2 in the LFPOA group. There was no significant difference in mean survival time: noLFPOA = 17.2 years [95% confidence interval (CI): 17 to 18] and LFPOA = 18.0 years [95% CI: 17 to 19] (P = .94). At mean follow-up of 10 years, there were no significant differences in knee flexion or extension. Patello-femoral crepitus without pain was noted in 7 patients who had LFPOA and 21 patients who had noLFPOA. There were no significant differences in VR-12 MCS, PCS, KOOS subscales, or Knee Society Score between groups. Patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) was achieved in 80% (90 of 112) for KOOS ADL in the noLFPOA group and 82% (36 of 44) in the LFPOA group (P = .68). PASS was achieved in 82% (92 of 112) for KOOS Sport in the noLFPOA group and 82% (36/44) in the LFPOA group (P = .87). At a mean of 10 years, patients who had LFPOA had equivalent survivorship and functional outcomes to patients who did not have LFPOA. These long-term results suggest that asymptomatic grade 3 or 4 LFPOA is not a contraindication to medial UKA.