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The traditional approach of restoring a neutral mechanical axis to the lower extremity during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has long been favored due its consistency and reproducibility. The kinematic alignment approach, which accounts for the patient's natural knee alignment and is commonly a few degrees varus to the mechanical axis, has gained popularity in recent years as a technique which reestablishes a more anatomic alignment. Linked Anatomic Kinematic Arthroplasty (LAKA), an extension of the kinematic approach that employs computer-assisted surgical (CAS) navigation, can improve the accuracy and precision of kinematic measurements in unicompartmental knee arthroplasties. This article will describe the LAKA technique in UKA and review early clinical outcomes associated with this technique.

Traditional approaches to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) aim to reestablish a neutral mechanical axis of the lower extremity. However, many studies have shown great variation in normal knee anatomy, suggesting that the ideal alignment may not be identical for every patient. Linked Anatomic Kinematic Arthroplasty (LAKA) offers a novel kinematic approach to TKA. Using computer navigation, LAKA technique can optimize the kinematic alignment while ensuring that coronal alignment is kept within standard mechanical ranges. This article will outline the surgical approach to LAKA and briefly review the outcomes of this approach.

Objective: To assess the outcome of osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation as the primary treatment for cartilage injury in patients with no previous surgical treatment. Study Design: Case series. Patients were identified in our outcomes database. Patients undergoing primary OCA transplantation with no prior surgical treatment and a minimum of 2 years follow-up were selected. Pain and function were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively. Patient satisfaction was assessed. Reoperations following OCA transplantation were captured. Failure was defined as revision OCA or conversion to arthroplasty. Results: Fifty-five patients (61 knees) were included in the analysis. The study consisted of 30 males and 25 females (mean age = 32.9 years; range = 15.7-67.8 years). The most common diagnoses for the OCA transplantation were osteochondritis dissecans (44.3%) and avascular necrosis (31.1%). Pain and function improved preoperatively to postoperatively on all outcome scales ( P < 0.01). The majority of patients (86%) were “extremely satisfied” or “satisfied.” OCA survivorship was 89.5% at 5 years and 74.7% at 10 years. At latest follow-up (mean = 7.6 years; range = 1.9-22.6 years), OCA remained in situ in 50 knees (82%). Eighteen knees (29.5%) had further surgery; 11 OCA failures and 7 other surgical procedure(s). Of the failed knees (mean time to failure = 3.5 years; range = 0.5-13.7 years), 8 were converted to arthroplasty, 2 had OCA revisions, and 1 had a patellectomy. Conclusions: OCA transplantation is an acceptable primary treatment method for some chondral and osteochondral defects of the knee. Failure of previous treatment(s) is not a prerequisite for OCA transplantation.

Objectives: Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the knee can be difficult to treat. Cartilage restoration techniques are often indicated when the lesion or fragment cannot be salvaged. Fresh osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation can restore both bone and cartilage defect as a treatment modality. We hypothesize that osteochondral allografting is a successful method for treating osteochondritis dissecans of the knee. Methods: Between 1983 and 2010, 164 patients (181 knees) underwent OCA for OCD of the femoral condyle(s) (type III or IV). Minimum two-year follow-up was available on 149 patients (165 knees). Median age was 25 years (range, 14 to 55) and 73% were male. Mean allograft size was 7.2 cm2(range, 2 to 23 cm2). Evaluation included frequency and type of reoperations, modified Merle d’Aubigné-Postel (18-point) scale, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) pain and function scores, and Knee Society function (KS-F) score. Clinical failure was defined as revision OCA or conversion to arthroplasty. Graft survivorship was determined. Results: Median follow-up time was 7.7 years (range, 2 to 28.4 years). 78% had more than 5-year follow-up. Fifty-one of 165 knees (31%) had reoperations, of which 21 (13%) were classified as allograft failures (13 OCA revisions, 5 UKA, and 3 TKA). OCA survivorship was 93% at 5 years, 87% at 10 years, and 77% at 20 years. Of the 144 knees whose grafts were still in situ, 91% were rated good/excellent, 8% were rated fair, and 1% was rated poor. Mean modified Merle d’Aubigné-Postel (18-point) scale was 17, mean IKDC pain and function scores were 2 and 8, and mean KS-F score was 93. 88% of patients reported satisfaction. Conclusion: Osteochondral allograft transplantation was an effective treatment for osteochondritis dissecans of the knee, with significant improvement in pain and function scores and high patient satisfaction. Graft survivorship was 87% at 10 years.

Objectives: To assess the clinical outcome of OCA transplantation used as primary treatment for chondral and osteochondral lesions in the knee. In most treatment algorithms, osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation is regarded as a salvage procedure when previous treatments have failed. No publications have assessed the outcome of OCA transplantation used as primary treatment for cartilage lesions in the knee. Methods: Our OCA outcomes database was used to identify 61 patients who underwent OCA transplantation as primary treatment for a chondral or osteochondral defect and had a minimum follow-up of two years. None of the patients had previous surgery on the involved knee prior to the OCA. Included in the analysis were 32 males and 29 females with a mean age of 32.9 years (range 15.7-67.8 years). The most common diagnoses were osteochondritis dissecans (44.3%) and avascular necrosis (31.1%), followed by osteoarthritis (8.2%), degenerative chondral lesion (6.6%), traumatic chondral injury (6.6%), and fracture (3.2%). The mean graft area was 9.6 cm2. The majority of grafts were located on the medial (47.5%) and lateral (24.6%) femoral condyles. Thirty-five patients (57.4%) had one graft, 22 (36.2%) had two grafts, and 4 (6.6%) had three grafts. Each patient was evaluated pre- and postoperatively with the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), a modified Merle d’Aubigné-Postel (18-point) scale, and Knee Society function (KS-F) score. Patients came in for a clinical evaluation or were contacted via telephone for follow-up. The number and type of reoperations following the OCA transplantation was captured. Failure was defined as revision OCA or conversion to arthroplasty. Patient satisfaction was assessed. Results: The mean follow-up duration was 7.6 years (range, 1.9 to 22.6 years). Eighteen knees (29.5%) had further surgery following the OCA transplantation. Seven knees (11.5%) had procedures unrelated to the allograft and 11 knees (18%) were considered OCA failures with eight conversions to arthroplasty, two revision OCA, and one patellectomy. The mean time to failure was 5.9 years (range, 0.5-13.7 years). OCA survivorship was 89.5% at 5 years and 74.7% at 10 years. Forty-three (70.5%) knees had their OCA still in situ at latest follow-up. Thirty-eight (84.5%) were rated good/excellent on the 18-point scale. The mean IKDC scores improved from 36.9 preoperatively to 80.4 postoperatively. The KS-F scores improved from 66.5 to 89.7. Eighty-six percent of patients reported being “extremely satisfied” or “satisfied.” Conclusion: OCA transplantation is an acceptable primary treatment method for some chondral and osteochondral defects of the knee. Failure of previous surgical treatment is not a prerequisite for OCA surgery. Outcomes in this group are comparable to other cartilage repair treatment options.