A Functional Comparison of Two TKR Designs

January 28, 2025 updated by: Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

The Functional Outcomes and Stability of Total Knee Replacement Design Concepts

Total knee replacement (TKR) is an established treatment for knee osteoarthritis and leads to a satisfactory outcome in over 75% of patients. However, up to 25% of patients are not entirely satisfied with their TKR. Patient dissatisfaction has been associated with inadequate functional outcome, especially during negotiation of stairs and slopes. This phenomenon, known as mid-flexion instability, is believed to be caused by excessive anterior-posterior motion of the implant during activities of daily living. This is characterised as a perception that the replaced knee is unsteady during certain tasks.

This study will compare the functional outcome of two implants that have been designed to provide patients with a functionally stable knee throughout its range of motion. The different design roles in preventing implant-related mid-flexion instability remain unknown. The functional outcome and stability of these implants will be tested non-invasively with 3D motion capture technology.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study will compare the functional outcome of two implants that have been designed to provide patients with a functionally stable knee throughout its range of motion. The different design roles in preventing implant-related mid-flexion instability remain unknown.

The Medacta GMK-Sphere implant consists of a fully congruent medial compartment which allows freedom of movement in the lateral compartment. Both femoral and tibial components are also available in a range of 13 sizes, allowing the surgeon to find a 'best fit' for each patient. These design features are aimed to mimic the movement of a natural healthy knee, potentially preventing implant-related mid-flexion instability.

The DePuy Synthes Attune implant design aims to provide patients with optimal functional outcome. The femoral component of this implant has a gradually reducing radius, and the tibial component an S-shaped post-cam mechanism. These features are designed to facilitate smooth movement and stability during flexion.

The comparative functional outcomes and stability in gait, and other activities of daily living has not been established for the two different TKR design concepts. Functional assessments will be carried out on TKR patients pre- and post-operatively. These assessments will non-invasively quantify the knee's stability, range of motion, strength as well as walking kinematics using 3D motion capture technology. As mid-flexion instability is most notable during downhill walking, patients will be required to walk downhill on a treadmill as part of this study, to better investigate the phenomenon of mid-flexion knee instability.

This study will not involve any invasive procedure in addition to the standard of care. As such, the research burden is minimal. The main ethical issue may be that patients will not be randomised into one of the two proposed groups.

Patients will receive either the GMK-Sphere implant or the Attune implant according to their surgeon's usual practice. Surgeons who specialise in the GMK-Sphere implant will only implant the GMK-Sphere for this study, and surgeons who specialise in the Attune implant will only implant the Attune. This allows surgeons to undertake the prosthesis with which they are expert, and also limit potential surgical error in the case of surgeons having to randomise patients to different designs on the same list.

Patients will be seen by the trial team on 3 separate occasions:

  1. Routine pre-admission clinic: Recruitment, collection of patient information and questionnaire data and completion of pre-operative physical tests (including gait analysis with 3D motion capture technology)
  2. Routine post-operation clinic: Six-weeks post-operative physical tests (including gait analysis with 3D motion capture technology) and questionnaire data
  3. Annual post-operation clinic: 1-year post-operative physical tests (including gait analysis with 3D motion capture technology) and questionnaire data

    Collection of baseline data during pre-admission clinic (standard care except physical tests):

    • Descriptive: Patient demographics (sex, age, height, mass, BMI), diagnosis, pattern of OA, medical co-morbidity
    • Questionnaire Data

      • Oxford Knee Score - A joint specific questionnaire which asks patients on the level of pain and function they believe to have in their affected knee.
      • EQ5D - A questionnaire on patients' perception of their overall health. It contains a visual analogue scale where patients have to choose on a scale of 0-100 how well they believe their general health to be.
      • SF12 - A general Quality of Life score. It has mental and physical components.
      • Forgotten Joint Score - This asks questions not covered in the OKS on patient perception of their knee that are important to know following TKA. It focuses on other aspects of outcome other than joint pain and function.
      • Expectation questionnaire - This asks what the patients expect from the surgery. The investigators use this to gauge whether patients are expecting to achieve too much or too little post-op. This is important for understanding post-operative patient satisfaction.

    All questionnaires ask different questions (although there is some overlap). Together, they give an overall view of the patients' perception of their general health and knee specific problems. As such, they are all deemed necessary for this investigation.

    There are separate scoring sheets for these subjective quantitative scores. The results are typically presented as a Mean ± SD score for each questionnaire (provided the data is normally distributed). All are valid in the English language.

    • Non-invasive Physical Tests: Range of knee movement, knee muscular strength, lower limb kinematics during level (0°)- and downhill (7.5°)-walking

    Collection of follow-up measures by trial team between operation and post-operative visit (standard care):

    • Surgical complications

    Collection of data during routine follow-up clinics:

6 weeks post-operation (standard care except physical tests):

  • Questionnaire Data: Oxford Knee Score, SF12, EQ5D, Forgotten Joint Score
  • Non-invasive Physical Tests: Range of knee movement, knee muscular strength, lower limb kinematics during level (0°)- and downhill (7.5°)-walking

    12 weeks post-operation (standard care):

  • Descriptive: Radiographic measurement of alignment (Non-invasive)

    1 year post-operation (standard care except physical tests):

  • Questionnaire Data: Oxford Knee Score, SF12, EQ5D, Forgotten Joint Score, Satisfaction questionnaire
  • Descriptive: Late complications
  • Non-invasive Physical Tests: Range of knee movement, knee muscular strength, lower limb kinematics during level (0°)- and downhill (7.5°)-walking

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

170

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 90 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Clinical diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the knee which is sufficiently symptomatic to require knee arthroplasty as assessed by their consultant orthopaedic surgeon

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Inflammatory arthropathy
  • Patients requiring bone augmentation
  • Patients with collateral ligament incompetence
  • Valgus deformity >5 degrees.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Medacta GMK Sphere
Half of the patients will be implanted with the Medacta GMK Sphere total knee arthroplasty
Parts of the knee joint diseased by osteoarthritis are replaced by metal and plastic prostheses.
Other Names:
  • Medacta GMK Sphere Implant
  • DePuy Synthes Attune Implant
Experimental: DePuy Synthes Attune
Half of the patients will be implanted with the DePuy Attune total knee arthroplasty
Parts of the knee joint diseased by osteoarthritis are replaced by metal and plastic prostheses.
Other Names:
  • Medacta GMK Sphere Implant
  • DePuy Synthes Attune Implant

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change from Baseline Gait Kinematics at 1-Year
Time Frame: Change from baseline at 1-Year
Gait of patients will be analysed pre-operatively, six-weeks post-operatively, and 1-year post-operatively by 3D motion capture technology. The change measured over time at 1-year will be the primary outcome.
Change from baseline at 1-Year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Patient Satisfaction (Pain/Hospital experience/functional ability/Surgery expectations)
Time Frame: 1 year post-operatively
Patient satisfaction will be reported using a scale on a questionnaire which asks six questions on how happy patients were with their hospital experience/level of pain/functional ability post-operatively. The questionnaire also asks whether their expectations were met. The two satisfaction questions are answered on a scale of 'Very Satisfied/Satisfied/Unsure/Dissatisfied' by ticking the appropriate box. The four questions based on patient expectation are scored on a scale of 'Excellent/Good/Unsure/Poor' by ticking the appropriate box.
1 year post-operatively
Oxford Knee Score (Patient reported outcome measure of pain and function)
Time Frame: Pre-operatively
A joint specific questionnaire which asks patients on the level of pain and function they believe to have in their affected knee (taking into consideration the past 4 weeks only). The questionnaire consists of 12 questions. Five of the questions are pain related, and seven are aimed at function. Each question has 5 options and is scored from 0-4, with 4 being the best and 0 being the worst pain/function. The best score is therefore 48 (no pain/good function), and the worst score is 0 (pain and poor function).
Pre-operatively
Oxford Knee Score (Patient reported outcome measure of pain and function)
Time Frame: 6 weeks post-operatively
A joint specific questionnaire which asks patients on the level of pain and function they believe to have in their affected knee (taking into consideration the past 4 weeks only). The questionnaire consists of 12 questions. Five of the questions are pain related, and seven are aimed at function. Each question has 5 options and is scored from 0-4, with 4 being the best and 0 being the worst pain/function. The best score is therefore 48 (no pain/good function), and the worst score is 0 (pain and poor function).
6 weeks post-operatively
Oxford Knee Score (Patient reported outcome measure of pain and function)
Time Frame: 1 year post-operatively
A joint specific questionnaire which asks patients on the level of pain and function they believe to have in their affected knee (taking into consideration the past 4 weeks only). The questionnaire consists of 12 questions. Five of the questions are pain related, and seven are aimed at function. Each question has 5 options and is scored from 0-4, with 4 being the best and 0 being the worst pain/function. The best score is therefore 48 (no pain/good function), and the worst score is 0 (pain and poor function).
1 year post-operatively
EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) (Patient reported outcome measure of patients' perception of their overall health)
Time Frame: Pre-operatively
A questionnaire on patients' perception of their overall health. The questionnaire focuses on generic health in 5 dimensions: Mobility, self-care, pain or discomfort, anxiety or depression and usual activities (including work, housework, leisure, family, and study). The questions are scored using an algorithm; the result of which relates to the health status of the patient. This score ranges between 0 (equivalent to death) to 1 (equivalent to full health). It also contains a visual analogue scale where patients have to choose on a scale of 0-100 how well they believe their general health to be on that particular day, where 0 is the worst health imaginable and 100 is the best health imaginable.
Pre-operatively
EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) (Patient reported outcome measure of patients' perception of their overall health)
Time Frame: 6 weeks post-operatively
A questionnaire on patients' perception of their overall health. The questionnaire focuses on generic health in 5 dimensions: Mobility, self-care, pain or discomfort, anxiety or depression and usual activities (including work, housework, leisure, family, and study). The questions are scored using an algorithm; the result of which relates to the health status of the patient. This score ranges between 0 (equivalent to death) to 1 (equivalent to full health). It also contains a visual analogue scale where patients have to choose on a scale of 0-100 how well they believe their general health to be on that particular day, where 0 is the worst health imaginable and 100 is the best health imaginable.
6 weeks post-operatively
EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) (Patient reported outcome measure of patients' perception of their overall health)
Time Frame: 1 year post-operatively
A questionnaire on patients' perception of their overall health. The questionnaire focuses on generic health in 5 dimensions: Mobility, self-care, pain or discomfort, anxiety or depression and usual activities (including work, housework, leisure, family, and study). The questions are scored using an algorithm; the result of which relates to the health status of the patient. This score ranges between 0 (equivalent to death) to 1 (equivalent to full health). It also contains a visual analogue scale where patients have to choose on a scale of 0-100 how well they believe their general health to be on that particular day, where 0 is the worst health imaginable and 100 is the best health imaginable.
1 year post-operatively
Short Form-12 (SF-12) (Patient reported outcome measure of general quality of life)
Time Frame: Pre-operatively
A general Quality of Life score with 12 questions. It has mental and physical components which are scored from the same questions, using different algorithms. Each question is multiple choice, and the patient must tick one answer. Each answer corresponds to a standardised value, which is used in two algorithms to generate an overall score. One score is for the mental component and one is for the physical component. The physical standardized values are summed across all 12 items. 56.57706 is added to the sum to create the SF-12 physical score. 60.75781 is added to sum create the SF-12 mental score. Higher overall scores are better than lower scores.
Pre-operatively
Short Form-12 (SF-12) (Patient reported outcome measure of general quality of life)
Time Frame: 6 weeks post-operatively
A general Quality of Life score with 12 questions. It has mental and physical components which are scored from the same questions, using different algorithms. Each question is multiple choice, and the patient must tick one answer. Each answer corresponds to a standardised value, which is used in two algorithms to generate an overall score. One score is for the mental component and one is for the physical component. The physical standardized values are summed across all 12 items. 56.57706 is added to the sum to create the SF-12 physical score. 60.75781 is added to sum create the SF-12 mental score. Higher overall scores are better than lower scores.
6 weeks post-operatively
Short Form-12 (SF-12) (Patient reported outcome measure of general quality of life)
Time Frame: 1 year post-operatively
A general Quality of Life score with 12 questions. It has mental and physical components which are scored from the same questions, using different algorithms. Each question is multiple choice, and the patient must tick one answer. Each answer corresponds to a standardised value, which is used in two algorithms to generate an overall score. One score is for the mental component and one is for the physical component. The physical standardized values are summed across all 12 items. 56.57706 is added to the sum to create the SF-12 physical score. 60.75781 is added to sum create the SF-12 mental score. Higher overall scores are better than lower scores.
1 year post-operatively
Forgotten Joint Score (Patient reported outcome measure of awareness of knee)
Time Frame: Pre-operatively
This asks questions not covered in the OKS on patient perception of their knee that are important to know following TKA. It focuses on other aspects of outcome other than joint pain and function. There are 12 questions in total, each starting with 'Are you aware of your knee joint...' followed by a daily situation such as driving/lying in bed etc. Each question has a possible of 5 answers: Never/Almost Never/Seldom/Sometimes/Mostly. Every question is scored 1 (never) to 5 (mostly) according to the selected response categories. Thus, the raw score ranges from 12 to 60. The raw score is linearly transformed to a 0-100 scale and then reversed to obtain the final score. For the final Forgotten Joint Score -12 a high score indicates good outcome.
Pre-operatively
Forgotten Joint Score (Patient reported outcome measure of awareness of knee)
Time Frame: 6 weeks post-operatively
This asks questions not covered in the OKS on patient perception of their knee that are important to know following TKA. It focuses on other aspects of outcome other than joint pain and function. There are 12 questions in total, each starting with 'Are you aware of your knee joint...' followed by a daily situation such as driving/lying in bed etc. Each question has a possible of 5 answers: Never/Almost Never/Seldom/Sometimes/Mostly. Every question is scored 1 (never) to 5 (mostly) according to the selected response categories. Thus, the raw score ranges from 12 to 60. The raw score is linearly transformed to a 0-100 scale and then reversed to obtain the final score. For the final Forgotten Joint Score -12 a high score indicates good outcome.
6 weeks post-operatively
Forgotten Joint Score (Patient reported outcome measure of awareness of knee)
Time Frame: 1 year post-operatively
This asks questions not covered in the OKS on patient perception of their knee that are important to know following TKA. It focuses on other aspects of outcome other than joint pain and function. There are 12 questions in total, each starting with 'Are you aware of your knee joint...' followed by a daily situation such as driving/lying in bed etc. Each question has a possible of 5 answers: Never/Almost Never/Seldom/Sometimes/Mostly. Every question is scored 1 (never) to 5 (mostly) according to the selected response categories. Thus, the raw score ranges from 12 to 60. The raw score is linearly transformed to a 0-100 scale and then reversed to obtain the final score. For the final Forgotten Joint Score -12 a high score indicates good outcome.
1 year post-operatively
Knee Strength
Time Frame: Pre-operatively
Knee strength in Newton meters will be assessed using motion capture technology and a dynamometer
Pre-operatively
Knee Strength
Time Frame: 6 weeks post-operatively
Knee strength in Newton meters will be assessed using a dynamometer.
6 weeks post-operatively
Knee Strength
Time Frame: 1 year post-operatively
Knee strength in Newton meters will be assessed using a dynamometer.
1 year post-operatively
Knee range of motion
Time Frame: Pre-operatively
Knee range of motion in degrees will be assessed using motion capture technology
Pre-operatively
Knee range of motion
Time Frame: 6 weeks post-operatively
Knee range of motion in degrees will be assessed using motion capture technology
6 weeks post-operatively
Knee range of motion
Time Frame: 1 year post-operatively
Knee range of motion in degrees will be assessed using motion capture technology.
1 year post-operatively

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Collaborators

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Leela C Biant, FRCSEd Tr & Orth, University of Manchester

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

February 6, 2019

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 31, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

December 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 19, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 1, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

August 7, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 25, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 28, 2025

Last Verified

January 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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