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Changes to patellar blood flow after minimally invasive total knee arthroplasty

  • Knee
  • Published:
Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

Standard surgical exposure reduces blood flow to the patella during total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Reduction of patellar blood flow has resulted in patellofemoral complications including osteonecrosis and patellar fracture, necessitating revision surgery. In TKA, avoiding patellar eversion is one type of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) technique. This study is the first to measure patellar blood flow during MIS TKA with the knee in both extension and 90° of flexion followed by lateral retraction and then eversion of the patella. Patellar blood flow was measured using laser Doppler flowmetry in 40 patients during MIS TKA. A significant reduction in flow was noted when the leg was flexed from full extension to 90°. Eversion of the patella reduced patellar blood flow. MIS TKA without patellar eversion may be useful for preventing a reduction in patellar blood flow.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu, Mie, 514-8507, Japan

    Masahiro Hasegawa, Goshin Kawamura, Hiroki Wakabayashi, Akihiro Sudo & Atsumasa Uchida

Authors
  1. Masahiro Hasegawa
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  2. Goshin Kawamura
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  3. Hiroki Wakabayashi
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  4. Akihiro Sudo
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  5. Atsumasa Uchida
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Masahiro Hasegawa.

Additional information

M. Hasegawa and G. Kawamura contributed equally to this work.

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Hasegawa, M., Kawamura, G., Wakabayashi, H. et al. Changes to patellar blood flow after minimally invasive total knee arthroplasty. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 17, 1195–1198 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-009-0834-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-009-0834-9

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