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. 2024 Nov 22;16(11):e74201.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.74201. eCollection 2024 Nov.

Association of Posterior Tibial Slope and Functional Outcome After Total Knee Arthroplasty: An Observational Study

Arpit Singh  1 , Prakhar Verma  1 , Narendra S Kushwaha  1 , Ravindra Mohan  1 , Devarshi Rastogi  1
Affiliations

Association of Posterior Tibial Slope and Functional Outcome After Total Knee Arthroplasty: An Observational Study

Arpit Singh et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Introduction Precise implant positioning, particularly a well-balanced posterior tibial slope (PTS), is crucial for the success of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) because it enhances sagittal plane stability and significantly influences knee motion patterns. The long-term impact of tibial slope on active and passive range of motion (ROM) still needs to be studied, despite ROM's crucial role in patient contentment. This study examined the relationship between tibial slope and active and passive ROM following TKA, with a follow-up period of at least three months. Materials and methods The study included 40 knees of 30 participants who had undergone initial TKA for knee osteoarthritis (KOA). These subjects were recruited between September 2023 and May 2024, with a minimum postoperative follow-up period of three months. Results Significant improvements in the average Kujala score and knee ROM were observed at postop day 7 and at the three-month follow-up as compared to preoperative measurements (p<0.001). Concurrently, there was a notable decrease in the mean posterior tibial slope (PTS) angle (p<0.001). While patients with a larger PTS angle exhibited higher average Kujala scores and knee ROM, the correlations between these variables and the PTS angle were not statistically significant. Conclusion Considering its limitations, this research indicates that the posterior tibial slope does not significantly affect the functional outcomes of patients after primary total knee replacement in the initial treatment phase.

Keywords: knee osteoarthritis (koa); knee range of motion (rom); kujala score; pts (posterior tibial score); tka (total knee arthroplasty).

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institutional Ethics Committee, KGMU issued approval XIX-PGTSC-IIA/P42. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. A 65-year-old male admitted with bilateral KOA (right > left), managed by TKA of the right knee
A. Preoperative; B. Postoperative KOA: knee osteoarthritis; TKA: total knee arthroplasty
Figure 2
Figure 2. Posterior tibial slope
Figure 3
Figure 3. Mean change in Kujala score, knee ROM, and PTS angle from preoperative to postoperative three months
ROM: range of motion; PTS: posterior tibial slope
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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