RESEARCH - A retrospective comparative study of bilateral total knee replacement staged at a one-week interval

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J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2006 Aug;88(8):1006-10.

A retrospective comparative study of bilateral total knee replacement

staged at a one-week interval.

Forster MC, Bauze AJ, Bailie AG, Falworth MS, Oakeshott RD.

Sportsmed SA, 32 Payneham Road, Stepney, Adelaide, SA 5069, Australia.

The clinical results of bilateral total knee replacement staged at a

one-week interval during a single hospital admission were compared

with bilateral total knee replacements performed under the same

anaesthetic and with bilateral total knee replacements performed

during two separate admissions. The data were retrospectively

reviewed. All operations had been performed by the same surgeon using

the same design of prosthesis at a single institution. The operative

time and length of stay for the one-week staged group were comparable

with those of the separate admission group but longer than for the

patients treated under one anaesthetic. There was a low rate of

complications and good clinical outcome in all groups at a mean

follow-up of four years (1 to 7.2). The group staged at a one-week

interval had the least blood loss (p = 0.004). With appropriate

patient selection, bilateral total knee replacement performed under a

single anaesthetic, or staged at a one-week interval, is a safe and

effective method to treat bilateral arthritis of the knee.

PMID: 16877597

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16877597

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