Patella Replacement in Knee Arthroplasty: A Japanese Perspective

In total knee arthroplasty (TKA), patellar resurfacing and non-resurfacing have been a long-standing debated issue. One of the reasons for this issue not being resolved is that there are various types of femoral trochlea shapes depending on the type of TKA. Similarly, there are also variations in the shape of the patella in individuals. Thus, whether or not to replace the patella in TKA should not be discussed uniformly but should be discussed for each TKA model or for each patella shape. In our study, femoral trochlea shapes with a deep TKA component were considered to be “patella-friendly.” In addition, a flat patellar shape was considered advantageous for patellar non-resurfacing TKA. Patellofemoral joint complications in TKA are sometimes difficult to treat. Thus, patellofemoral joint complications are also reviewed here.