Gender-specific total knee arthroplasty in Singaporean women

Purpose. To compare the outcome of 145 women who underwent conventional total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with 77 women who underwent gender-specific TKA. Methods. Records of 222 women who underwent primary TKA using a conventional (n = 145) or gender-specific (n = 77) size E or F prosthesis for end-stage osteoarthritis were reviewed. The gender-specific prosthesis has a narrower mediolateral dimension. Patients were assessed for flexion, Oxford Knee Score, Knee Society function and knee scores, and Short Form-36 Health Survey preoperatively and postoperatively (at 6 months and 2 years). Results. The 2 groups were comparable in terms of age (67.8 vs. 68.1 years, p = 0.789), body mass index (28.6 vs. 27.8 kg/m(2), p = 0.189), and preoperative scores. 12 women with conventional TKA and 4 women with gender-specific TKA were lost to follow-up. Compared with women with conventional TKA, women with gender-specific TKA had better flexion at 6 months (116 degrees vs. 121.9 degrees, p = 0.007) and 2 years (118.7 degrees vs. 124.6 degrees, p = 0.006), better bodily pain score at 2 years (65.1 vs. 72.4, p = 0.049), and greater improvement in bodily pain score from baseline to 2 years (30 vs. 38.5, p = 0.034). Conclusion. Gender-specific TKA enables better knee flexion and less bodily pain in women who have a high propensity to develop mediolateral overhang of the femoral component.