Systematic Review of Medial Parapatellar and Subvastus Approaches in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Bourke, Michael G.; Buttrum, Peter J.; FitzPatrick, Prudence L.; Dalton, Philip A.; Jull, Gwendolen A.; Russell, Trevor G.

doi:10.1016/j.arth.2009.06.008

« Previous Next »The Journal of Arthroplasty
Volume 25, Issue 5 , Pages 728-734, August 2010

Systematic Review of Medial Parapatellar and Subvastus Approaches in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Michael G. Bourke, BPhty
- Department of Physiotherapy, QEII Jubilee Hospital, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Reprint requests: Michael G. Bourke, BPhty, Department of Physiotherapy, QEII Jubilee Hospital, Locked Bag 2, Archerfield, Brisbane, Queensland 4108, Australia.
- Division of Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Peter J. Buttrum, BPhty
- Department of Physiotherapy, QEII Jubilee Hospital, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Prudence L. FitzPatrick, MBBS, FRACS
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, QEII Jubilee Hospital, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Philip A. Dalton, BPhty (Hons), MMedSc, MBBS (Hons), FRACS CIME
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, QEII Jubilee Hospital, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Gwendolen A. Jull, PhD, MPhty, FACP
- Division of Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Trevor G. Russell, PhD, BPhty
- Division of Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Received 16 December 2008; accepted 7 June 2009. published online 19 August 2009.

Abstract

This systematic review was performed to compare the outcomes of the medial parapatellar and subvastus surgical approaches for total knee arthroplasty. Five studies, published between 1993 and 2001 met the inclusion quality standards for the review. The methodological quality of most studies was poor, and they were not sufficiently homogenous for meta-analysis. We found that the evidence was insufficient to demonstrate a clinical or statistically significant difference between the medial parapatellar and subvastus approaches to total knee arthroplasty across all outcomes. Further trials with robust methodology, objective and functional outcome measures, and follow-up beyond 6 to 12 months are required.

Keywords: knee, subvastus, medial parapatellar, arthroplasty, TKA