Curative effect of knee arthroplasty on patients with osteoarthritis and analysis of long-term joint function of these patients.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to explore the curative effect of knee arthroplasty on patients with osteoarthritis and analysis of their long-term joint function.

METHODS: 96 cases of osteoarthritis patients, collected in our hospital from June 2010 to May 2011, were divided into control group and observation group (n=48, each group). Patients in observation group were treated by knee replacement, and patients in control group were treated by arthroscopic debridement. Bleeding during operation of patients and the operation time in both groups were comparable during their followed up for 6~60 months, with an average of 52 months. Neer score was used to compare the curative effect of patients after 6 months; knee society score (KSS) was used to compare knee joint function and knee joint of motion (ROM) of patients several days prior to surgery and after 6 months, 12 months, 24 months, and 48 months. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to compare pain degrees of patients at the last follow-up.

RESULTS: By Neer score comparison, after 6 months excellent and good rate of pa in observation group (91.67%) was obviously highe than that of control group 70.83% (P<0.05); ROM of patients in observation group was obviously higher than that in control group (P<0.05); after six months, KSS score of patients in both groups greatly improved. As well, with the extension of time, their knee joint function showed a better trend, and KSS score of patients in observation group was obviously higher than that of control group (P < 0.05). Pain of patients in observation group was significantly lower than that in control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: Both the arthroscopy debridement and the knee replacement have good curative effect. The curative effect of knee replacement was better, postoperative knee joint activity was obviously improved, the long-term recovery of knee joint function was good, and knee replacement can reduce the pain of the patients.