Is Hydroxyapatite a Reliable Fixation Option in Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty? – A 5- to 13-Year Experience with the Hydroxyapatite-Coated Unix Prosthesis

ABSTRACT

Hydroxyapatite-coated unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is a debatable approach to unicompartmental knee arthritis because UKA is often viewed as a short-term solution, at best, for a condition that will eventually require a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty is a more technically demanding procedure than TKA, and appropriate patient selection, careful surgical technique, and correct choice of implant geometry are all critical components to its success. A fundamental issue surrounding UKA is whether hydroxyapatite-coated unicompartmental components can provide a long-term solution to unicondylar arthritis. We address this issue in the current study, which is based on a prospective series of 125 hydroxyapatite-coated Unix knee prostheses implanted consecutively between 1994 and 2002, with a 5-year minimum follow-up and a 13-year maximum follow-up. The results of our study indicate that uncemented hydroxyapatite-coated UKA can be successful in the long term.