Insall and Aglietti report 5–7 year outcomes of 22 unicondylar knee arthroplasties performed at the Hospital for Special Surgery (1972–1974), using the HSS knee rating system to assess whether initially good results were sustained over time.
When evaluating a patient with isolated medial compartment OA for unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, recognize that this foundational study — using an early prosthesis and technique — found a 28% conversion rate and uniformly poor outcomes in medial failures, prompting Insall to abandon medial UKA in favor of HTO or TKA; lateral compartment UKA showed durable results and remains a viable option.
Early good scores (avg 77 pts at 1 year) masking long-term deterioration underscore why medium-term follow-up data are essential before endorsing any arthroplasty design.
Insall and Aglietti report 5–7 year outcomes of 22 unicondylar knee arthroplasties performed at the Hospital for Special Surgery (1972–1974), using the HSS knee rating system to assess whether initially good results were sustained over time.
When evaluating a patient with isolated medial compartment OA for unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, recognize that this foundational study — using an early prosthesis and technique — found a 28% conversion rate and uniformly poor outcomes in medial failures, prompting Insall to abandon medial UKA in favor of HTO or TKA; lateral compartment UKA showed durable results and remains a viable option.
Early good scores (avg 77 pts at 1 year) masking long-term deterioration underscore why medium-term follow-up data are essential before endorsing any arthroplasty design.