Comparison of clinical outcomes between cruciate-retaining and posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty in patients with mild to moderate patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis

Description

Yanfeng Jia and colleagues published a 2026 study comparing two knee replacement designs in patients whose kneecap joint had mild to moderate arthritis, without resurfacing the kneecap. One design keeps the posterior cruciate ligament (cruciate-retaining); the other substitutes for it (posterior-stabilized). The comparison covered 107 knees with the retaining design and 109 with the stabilized design, using X-ray angles, pain reports, motion range, and knee scores.

Front-of-knee pain occurred more often in the stabilized group, a significant difference. The timing of kneecap crepitus, the crackling some patients feel, did not differ. Range of motion came out better with the stabilized design. Overall knee scores and alignment measures did not differ between groups. The authors conclude both designs deliver early clinical and imaging results for this patient group. The choice may hinge on how a surgeon weighs motion gains against the higher chance of front knee pain.

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Source: https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13279520