Unicondylar knee arthroplasties

Although knee arthroplasty enjoys a remarkable clinical track record, problems with wear and fatigue damage of UHMWPE continue to limit the longevity of both unicondylar and bicondylar knee replacement components. Unlike in the hip, where radiographic techniques have been developed to quantify in vivo wear rates, there currently exist no standard and widely accepted techniques for tracking the clinical performance of UHMWPE in patients with knee replacement. Thus, today the most effective way to evaluate the in vivo performance of UHMWPE continues to be the analysis of retrieved components from revision surgery or from autopsy donations. 

---