Fifteen-Year to 19-Year Follow-Up of the Insall-Burstein-1 Total Knee Arthroplasty

This represents a 15-year to 19-year follow-up of 100 Insall-Burstein-I posterior-stabilized knee prostheses implanted in 86 patients from 1986 to 1989 and originally reported at 10 to 12 years (Thadani et al, 2000). In the original cohort, 6 failures occurred by 10 years. At 15 to 19 years, 55 patients (66 knees) had died; 18 patients were followed with clinical examination and radiographs, and 11 by telephone; 3 knees in 2 patients were lost. There were no new failures or additional surgeries from 10 to 19 years. Three knees exhibited osteolytic lesions. No case required revision due to symptomatic osteolysis or polyethylene wear. Using revision as end point, survival was 92.4% at 19 years. In summary, the prosthesis is likely to outlive the patients when classic indications for age and activity are respected.