Clinical evaluation of total knee arthroplasty in treatment of severe adult Kashin-Beck disease

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the clinical effects of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in treatment of severe adults Kashin-Beck disease (KBD). Methods Sixteen cases of KBD patients underwent TKA in Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, including 2 males (2 knees) and 14 females (17 knees), aged 41 to 56 years, mean (56.38 ± 6.40) years, left knee in 8 cases and right knee in 11 cases, knee varus in 15 cases and valgus knees in 4 cases. Visual Analogue Scale/Score (VAS), Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) scores, knee range of motion, varus deformity and postoperative complications were observed before and after TKA. Results In this group of TKA patients, the levels of VAS scores in pre-total knee arthroplasty (pre-TKA), 2 weeks post-total knee arthroplasty (post-TKA), 3 months post-TKA, and at the end of the follow-up were 7.51 ± 1.00, 3.56 ± 1.29, 1.83 ± 1.40 and 1.10 ± 0.87, respectively. The level of VAS scores in 2 weeks post-TKA was significantly lower than that in pre-TKA (P < 0.01), and the VAS levels were continued to decrease in post-TKA (all P < 0.01). Total HSS score at the end of the follow-up post-TKA was 78.60 ± 5.30, which was significantly higher than that in pre-TKA (43.59 ± 10.08, t = 19.21, P < 0.01). At the end of the follow-up post-TKA, in addition to the muscle strength, the levels of pain, knee function, activity, flexion deformity and stability (25.94 ± 4.17, 15.88 ± 3.70, 14.09 ± 1.03, 6.79 ± 2.25, 8.58 ± 1.30) were significantly higher than those in pre-TKA (11.56 ± 5.39, 7.56 ± 1.75, 9.86 ± 3.85, 3.05 ± 3.22, 5.00 ± 3.07, t = 16.00, 8.32, 6.43, 7.07, 6.95, all P < 0.01). At the end of follow-up post-TKA, the knee degree of extension [(3.05 ± 2.71)°] was significantly lower than that in pre-TKA [(15.11 ± 11.30)°, t =-5.40, P < 0.01], the knee degree of flexion [(115.79 ± 9.65)°] was significantly higher than that in pre-TKA [(93.95 ± 22.40)°, t = 6.02, P < 0.01), the degree of varus [(2.40 ± 2.40)°] and valgus [(3.75 ± 2.50)°] deformity was significantly lower than those in pre-TKA [(11.33 ± 10.43)°, (18.00 ± 5.72)°, t =-4.15,-3.61, all P < 0.05]. One patient was diagnosed as knee tuberculosis in 6 months post-TKA. There was no complication in this group of patients. Conclusion The TKA in severe adults knee of KBD can significantly reduce knee pain, improve knee function, correct joint deformities and improve quality of life in patients, and shows good clinical results. Key words: Kashin-Beck disease; Total knee arthroplasty; Bioprosthesis; Evaluation studies