Uncemented Total Knee Arthroplasty is on the Rise. A Report of Patient Demographics and Short-Term Outcomes From the Michigan Arthroplasty Registry Collaborative Quality Initiative.

BACKGROUND

Cemented total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the gold standard treatment for osteoarthritis, but uncemented TKA offers benefits like improved osseointegration and reduced complications from cement debris. This study aimed to investigate (1) if there has been a rise in uncemented TKA from 2017 to 2021 and (2) if there are differences in early complications between cemented and uncemented TKA.

METHODS

A retrospective data review was performed on the Michigan Arthroplasty Registry Collaborative Quality Initiative database of TKA patients from 2017 to 2021 at 6 hospitals. Patients with revision or partial knee arthroplasty were excluded. Patients were divided into 2 groups: uncemented and cemented. Hybrid and reverse hybrid fixation data were collected for incidence, but not for demographics or complications. All patient demographics and 90-day postoperative events were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

A retrospective study of 18,749 primary TKAs found that 89.7% were cemented, 9.7% uncemented, and 0.7% hybrid or reverse hybrid. Uncemented patients were younger, men, heavier, current smokers, and diabetics than cemented patients ( < .0001,  = .03). They also had a shorter length of stay ( ≤ .0001) and were on fewer preoperative medications: anticoagulants ( = .0059), antiplatelets ( ≤ .0001), opioids ( = .0091), and steroids ( = .0039). The rate of uncemented TKA increased from 3.3% to 17.1%, while the rate of cemented TKA fell from 96.2% to 81.9% ( = .0048). The readmission rate was higher in cemented TKAs (4.0%) than in uncemented TKAs (2.6%) ( = .0048).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of uncemented TKA increased from 3.3% in 2017 to 17.1% in 2021, while cemented fixation decreased from 96.7% to 81.9%. There were no significant differences in short-term complications between groups. Uncemented patients were younger, men, took fewer medications, had a shorter length of stay, and were less likely to be readmitted. However, they were more likely to have comorbidities than the cemented group.