Abstract
Objective: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has become an effective treatment modality for end-stage osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Postoperative problems such as anterior knee pain affect postoperative patient satisfaction. Patellar denervation has been proposed as a technique to relieve pain, but its efficacy remains controversial. This study evaluated the mid- and long-term effects of patellar denervation on postoperative knee joint functions, hoping to provide better guidance for clinical practice. Methods: This study is a prospective randomized controlled double-blind study. 58 patients undergoing bilateral non-resurfaced total knee arthroplasty were included and randomized into two groups. Both groups underwent total knee arthroplasty while patellar denervation was performed only on the experimental group. Information regarding whether if patellar denervation was performed were withheld from all patients and outcome assessors. All surgeries were performed by the same high-level professional physician, and the post-stable knee prosthesis system (PS Scorpio NRG PS, Stryker) was used during the surgeries. The knee joint functions were evaluated by professional assessors before and after surgery. The evaluation indicators mainly include KSS scoring, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) scoring and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), FJS scoring, etc. The follow-up period was 3 years and 5 years after surgery. Results: The experimental group had better KSS and FJS scores than the control group, the difference was statistically significant. There was no significant inter-group difference in WOMAC and VAS scores. Conclusion: The patellar denervation in TKA patients has positive effects on the mid- and long-term recovery of knee joint functions, and the postoperative satisfaction is better.