Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42116731›Full record

ArticleBone & joint open2026

Unrestricted kinematic alignment for total knee arthroplasty : a mid- to long-term follow-up non-designer single surgeon study with survival analysis.

Francesco Mancuso, Khaled Al-Mohamadi, Christian Kleinert, Stijn Cornelissen, Hemant Pandit, Dragan Jeremic

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Bone & joint open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Francesco MancusoOrthopaedics Clinic, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, ASUFC, Piazzale Santa Maria della Misericordia, Udine, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-2551-5508
Khaled Al-MohamadiArthroplasty Center, St. Vicenz Hospital, Brakel, Germany.
Christian KleinertArthroplasty Center, St. Vicenz Hospital, Brakel, Germany.
Stijn CornelissenArthroplasty Center, St. Vicenz Hospital, Brakel, Germany.
Hemant PanditLeeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7392-8561
Dragan JeremicArthroplasty Center, St. Vicenz Hospital, Brakel, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-3565-1586

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Aims: Kinematic alignment (KA) offers a personalized approach by restoring each patient's pre-arthritic joint lines. Unrestricted KA (urKA) removes alignment boundaries defined by restricted KA concept, but concerns regarding reproducibility and clinical success persist. This study evaluates mid- to long-term survivorship and functional outcomes of urKA total knee arthroplasty (urKA-TKA) performed using a manual surgical technique by a single surgeon, with a minimum follow-up of three years. Methods: We prospectively reviewed 229 consecutive urKA-TKAs performed between March 2014 and October 2019 using a medial pivot design TKA and calipered measured resection (mean follow-up 87 months (36 to 136)). Patella was not routinely resurfaced. No restrictions were applied regarding preoperative limb alignment. Outcomes included survivorship (revision and reoperation), radiological alignment, and patient-reported outcomes: Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Forgotten Joint Score (FJS), and Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for pain. Survivorship was calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: Preoperative and postoperative hip-knee-ankle (HKA) axis ranged respectively from -20.4° to 25.2° and -9.4° to 10.6°. The mean KOOS improved from 28.8 (SD 10.3) preoperatively to 75.8 (SD 16.6) postoperatively (p < 0.001). FJS was 87.6 (SD 17.7) at final follow-up, while NRS pain scores averaged 1.6 (SD 2.4), with 60% reporting no pain. At nine years (n = 32 at risk), implant survivorship was 97% free from revision for any reason and 96% free from reoperation, with no cases of aseptic loosening. Patients with preoperative alignment outliers (>± 5° HKA) demonstrated greater improvements in KOOS and FJS than neutral knees. Outcomes and implant survival were similar between knees within or outside restricted alignment boundaries. A trend towards higher rates of secondary patellar resurfacing was observed in valgus phenotypes, although this finding was not statistically significant. Conclusion: UrKA TKA provides excellent mid- to long-term survivorship and significant functional improvement without compromising safety in all knee phenotypes including patients with extreme preoperative alignment.

Identifiers

PMID42116731
PMCPMC13161791

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.