In this interesting study that used National Joint Registry data in Great Britain, the authors looked at the results of patellofemoral replacement (PFJ). They found that surgeons who do more than 5 PFJs a year have better outcomes and lower complication rates than surgeons who do less.
This is far from surprising, and it is part of the reason that I have focused my practice over the years. You get better by doing a lot of something.
I do about 50-60 patellofemoral replacements each year and am certainly more likely than most to consider the option of patellofemoral replacement for my patients.
Another aspect of this study was that the outcomes were better with onlay implants than with inlay. I have long favored this type of implant as it allows me to optimize patellar tracking by rotating the trochlear component.
Read more in this Orthopedicstoday article on Healio: High-volume surgeons linked with lower revision rates after patellofemoral arthroplasty.
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