This interesting study published in the Lancet they report on the 20 year clinical and economic results of a large multicenter trial. What they looked at is whether or not it was worthwhile to resurface the patella when doing a knee replacement. As a surgeon who takes care of a lot of patellofemoral issues I’ve always favored resurfacing the patella, but it’s good to see this large study supporting my experience. Many patients who suffer from knee osteoarthritis have disease that also affects the patella and in my patients this percentage is quite high. According to this study patella resurfacing produced more quality adjusted life years.
Read the study:
- Patellar resurfacing in total knee replacement: 20-year clinical and economic results of a large multicentre, randomised controlled trial in the UK — Murray DW, Hudson J, Dakin H, et al. The Lancet, 2026. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00652-5