Alterations in normal knee kinematics following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) arise in part from the non-anatomic articular geometry of contemporary implants. In this study, the kinematics of a novel posterior cruciate-retaining (CR) implant with anatomic (biomimetic) articular surface, were compared to that of contemporary CR implants during various simulated activities. Across different simulated activities the biomimetic-CR mimicked normal kinematic patterns more closely than contemporary CR implants. In particular, during deep knee bend and chair-sit, the biomimetic-CR showed medial pivot motion, while other CR implants showed abnormal motion including lateral pivot or no pivot, and paradoxical anterior sliding. Further in vivo and clinical studies are needed to determine whether such biomimetic implants can truly help to achieve a more normal feeling knee and improved patient satisfaction.
Keywords: Total knee arthroplasty; biomimetic; cruciate retaining; implant design; knee kinematics; normal function.
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