The Effect of Total Patellectomy in the Prosthetic Replacement of Proximal Tibia

경골 근위부 종양에서 인공 삽입물 사용시 슬개골 전적출술이 관절기능 회복에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study is a comparative evaluation of range motion, especially extension deficit between the group of total patellectomy and that of intact patella, after reconstruction of the patellar tendon in the prosthetic replacement of a proximal tibia. Between 1990 and 1994, 15 patients who had a primary malignancy on proximal tibia were operated on. All patients were evaluated clinically and radiographically. Two patients were excluded because one had a deep infection treated with arthrodesis of the knee and the other was a composite allograft. The mean follow-up of the 13 patients was 27 months(15-47), including 10 osteosarcomas, 1 chondrosarcoma, 1 malignant fibrous histiocytoma and 1 malignant giant cell tumor. Eleven patients had a resection of the proximal tibia and 2 had an extracapsular total knee resection with distal femur. Reconstruction of the defect was done in 8 cases with a custom-made Link Endo-Model Total Rotation Knee Joint Prosthesis, and in 5 with How Medica Modular Resection System (HMRS). We used two methods to reconstruct the ligamentum patellae. Fixation of the patellar tendon to the prosthesis only with suturing and/or stapling(group SS) was done in 7. Transposition of gastrocnemius muscle to enhance fixation and to cover the prosthesis(group TG) was done in 6. Regardless of fixation methods, total patellectomy was done in 5 either to lengthen the patellar tendon or to make primary skin closure easier or for both. In 8 cases, patella was left intact or resurfaced with polyethylene prosthesis. Active extension was measured while the patient was in a sitting position. There is no statistically meaningful difference in terms of extension deficit (Wilcoxon rank test, p=0.8800) between patellectomy group and intact patella group, and between group of fixation only with suturing and that of gastrocnemius transposition. Two cases of extension deficit over 30 degree were seen in group SS and in the group of intact patella. Conclusively, total patellectomy could be an option without increasing the risk of extension deficit when primary skin closure is difficult or patellar tendon is a little bit short to be fixed. There is no rating in the Enneking system of functional evaluation that this finding into consideration.