Single Radius Total Knee Arthroplasty:
PCL Sacrifice Without Substitution
Yields Excellent Outcomes
Minimum 8-Year Follow-Up
Steven F. Harwin, MD, FACS
Chief of Adult Reconstructive Surgery of the Hip and Knee
Beth Israel Medical Center
Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
New York, New York, USA
Mark Kester, PhD
Senior Director Research
Stryker Orthopaedics
Mahwah, New Jersey, USA
Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) retaining total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is bone conserving and relies on the retained ligament to provide posterior stability. PCL sacrifice allows for easier correction of deformity, a better range of motion, and predictable kinematics. It was hypothesized that using a novel single radius TKA design, coupled with a double-dished articular geometry, would yield satisfactory stability and outcomes by sacrificing the PCL without substitution. A consecutive series of 94 cemented Scorpio (Stryker Orthopaedics) single radius PCL retaining total knee arthroplasties using that strategy, with a minimum 8-year follow-up, is presented. An early return of range of motion and extensor mechanism function was also demonstrated. No cases of instability and no revisions related to the technique occurred. As predicted, clinical and radiographic outcomes were excellent regarding pain relief and functional activities.