the effect of patellar denervation by circumpatellar electrocautery on anterior knee pain following total knee replacement – an experimental study

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES Anterior knee pain is a common problem in patients who have undergone TKR which causes dissatisfaction among them. There are Various methods for prevention of anterior knee pain following TKR .The  objective of this study is to determine the  effect of circumpatellar electrocautery on anterior knee pain following TKR and to compare the results with that of those patients who have undergone TKR without circumpatellar denervation. METHODS This is a cohort study conducted in Dept. of Orthopedics, Govt. Medical College, Kozhikode,kerala, 2014. Total sample size was 90.out of which 2 patients died during the study period. We lost follow up of 7 patients.  Among the remaining 81 patients 42 had undergone TKR with circumpatellar denervation using electocautery and 39 without circumpatellar denervation. They were kept under follow up. Patients were followed up postoperatively at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and at one year. At all postoperative visits, a clinical score was determined using the Knee Society score and the clinical anterior knee pain rating system described by Waters and Bentley RESULTS There is no statistically significant difference in AKP score between both groups.There is a statistically significant difference in the knee society score at 1st month(p value <.001).  But there is no difference on further follow up visits . CONCLUSION There is no statistically significant difference between final outcome of patients who underwent patella denervation using circumpatellar electrocauterisation and those without denervation  with respect to anterior knee pain among patients who have undergone TKR.