Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty and Total Knee Arthroplasty Among Medicare Beneficiaries, 2000 to 2009

Abstract

Although unicompartmental knee arthroplasty accounted for only 4.5% of the unilateral knee replacements among Medicare beneficiaries, the use of this procedure has increased dramatically. Compared with those who had total knee arthroplasty, patients who underwent unicompartmental knee arthroplasty had higher revision rates but shorter durations of stay and tended to have lower rates of perioperative complications. These findings need to be confirmed by studies that incorporate detailed clinical information.