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Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate early postoperative surgical and medical complications in patients undergoing staged bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and determine if the interval to the second stage influences the risk of complications., Methods: A retrospective review was performed from 2016 through 2018 of all staged bilateral primary TKA procedures, yielding a cohort of 1005 patients (2010 TKAs). Four groups were created based on the timing of the second stage: 3 to 6 weeks, 7 to 12 weeks, 13 to 24 weeks, and >24 weeks. Clinical data compared between groups included demographics, knee range of motion, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) activity score, Knee Society pain score, Knee Society clinical score, and Knee Society functional score. Postoperative complications within 90 days were evaluated, with complications after the second knee being the primary outcome., Results: The mean follow-up after second stage was 10.7 months (range, 3 to 37 months). No significant differences were found between groups in the range of motion, Knee Society pain, Knee Society clinical score, Knee Society functional score, or University of California Los Angeles activity score in either the first or second knee. After the first knee surgery, medical complications were highest in the >24-week group. After the second knee, there were no significant difference in manipulation (P = .9), wound complications (P = .7), venous thromboembolism (P = .8), or other medical complications (P = 1) based on the interval duration., Conclusion: The interval between staged TKA did not affect early medical or surgical complications after the second stage. Early clinical and function results were not different based on timing of the second surgery., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The impact of a patient's activity level following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains controversial, with some surgeons concerned about increased polyethylene wear, aseptic loosening, and revisions. The purpose of this study is to report on implant survivorship and outcomes of high activity patients compared to low activity patients after TKA., Methods: A retrospective review identified 1611 patients (2038 knees) that underwent TKA with 5-year minimum follow-up. Patients were divided in 2 groups based on their University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) activity level: low activity (LA) (UCLA ≤5) and high activity (HA) (UCLA ≥6). Outcomes included range of motion, Knee Society scores, complications, and reoperations. Parametric survival analysis was performed to evaluate the significance of activity level on survivorship while controlling for age, gender, preoperative pain, Knee Society clinical scores, Knee Society functional scores, and body mass index (BMI)., Results: Mean follow-up was 11.4 years (range 5.1-15.9). The LA group had significantly more female patients, were older, had higher BMI, and had lower functional scores preoperatively (all with P < .001). The HA group had significantly higher improvements in Knee Society scores (P < .001) and pain postoperatively (P < .001). Revisions were performed in 4% of the LA group and 1.7% knees of the HA group (P = .003). After controlling for age, gender, preoperative pain, Knee Society clinical scores, Knee Society functional scores, and BMI, a higher postoperative activity level remained a significant factor for improved survivorship with an odds ratio of 2.4 (95% confidence interval 1.2-4.7, P = .011). The all-cause 12-year survivorship was 98% for the HA group and 95.3% for the LA group (P = .003). The aseptic 12-year survivorship was 98.4% for the HA group and 96.3% for the LA group (P = .02)., Conclusion: Highly active patients had increased survivorship at 5-year minimum follow-up compared to lower activity patients after TKA. Patient activity level after TKA may not need to be limited with modern implants., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Despite improvements in polyethylene bearing surface properties, only 1 previous study has examined the results of larger thickness bearings. The purpose of this study was to determine whether polyethylene thickness influenced patient outcomes and implant survival following modular total knee arthroplasty., Methods: A retrospective review was performed of patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty from 2003 to 2014 in a single practice database. Patients were separated into "thin" and "thick" polyethylene groups based on manufacturer polyethylene bearing sizes of 14 mm or less compared to those greater than 14 mm, respectively. Patient clinical outcomes, need for revision surgery, and overall implant survival rates were evaluated., Results: A total of 6698 primary knee arthroplasties were included, and a thin bearing was used in 96.5% of these cases. Preoperatively, patients with a thick bearing had significantly lower Knee Society clinical scores (P < .01), a trend toward lower functional scores (P = .06), and more significant coronal plane deformity. Postoperatively, patients with thick bearings exhibited better Knee Society clinical and pain scores as well as similar functional scores and University of California at Los Angeles activity scores. The overall reoperation rate and 10-year survivorship free of revision were similar between thick and thin bearings (1.7% vs 2.3%; 98.2% vs 96.1%). Patients with thin bearings were twice as likely to require a manipulation under anesthesia postoperatively (P = .02), while there were no failures in the thick bearing group due to aseptic loosening or instability., Conclusion: Patients with thick polyethylene bearings performed similarly or better in multiple clinical outcomes and survivorship compared to those with thin bearings., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)