Cemented versus uncemented fixation of the femoral component of the NexGen CR total knee replacement in patients younger than 60 years: a prospective randomised controlled RSA study.

The optimal mode of femoral fixation in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains controversial, especially for the young patient. In a prospective randomised study we compared the magnitude and pattern of the fixation of cemented versus uncemented femoral components during 2 years in patients younger than 60 years. Forty-one knees in 41 patients were randomised to receive a NexGen (Zimmer, Warsaw, USA) cruciate-retaining TKA with either a cemented or an uncemented non HA-coated femoral component. The patients were examined by radiostereometric analysis (RSA), as well as clinical and radiological evaluation. The magnitude and pattern of migration as measured by RSA did not differ significantly between the cemented and uncemented fixation during the 2-year follow-up, nor were there any differences between the groups in clinical parameters. These findings suggest that an uncemented and non HA-coated femoral component may behave equally as well as a cemented one in the long-term.