Trends in Total Knee Arthroplasty in a Developing Region: A Survey of Latin American Orthopaedic Surgeons

Introduction: A number of different total knee arthroplasty techniques are available. There is also a degree of surgeon preference for these, and the variation across orthopaedic surgeons in Latin America is currently unknown. Methods: A survey on members of Sociedad Latinoamericana de Artroscopia, Rodilla y Deporte was performed, with questions based on categories within worldwide national joint registries. In total, 315 Sociedad Latinoamericana de Artroscopia, Rodilla y Deporte members received the survey via e-mail, and the return answers were compared with the latest worldwide national joint registry annual reports. Results: The survey was completed in full by 262 surgeons (83%). It was answered that 19% of surgeons perform less than 10 total knee arthroplasties per year, 54% perform less than 30, and only 9% perform more than 100. Seventy-three percent of surgeons use a posterior stabilized total knee replacement, 18% use a cruciate retaining total knee replacement, and 9% use a medial pivot design. Forty-nine percent of surgeons resurface the patella, 27% never resurface it, and 24% choose to resurface it based on an individual case scenario. Ninety-eight percent of surgeons use cemented fixation in the femur and tibia, with the remaining 2% choosing hybrid fixation and 1% using fully noncemented fixation. Conclusion: This survey among Latin American surgeons has demonstrated important differences in surgical technique and implants choice compared with worldwide national registries.