Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42305558›Full record

ArticleArthroplasty today2026

Arthroscopic Treatment of Patellar Clunk Syndrome After Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Maxwell C Alley, W Doug Werry, Charles A Guerra, Hadley Winslow, Margaret Hedeman, Alan Shi, Brian T Samuelsen, Philip H Aurigemma, Mark J Lemos

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

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

0numbers the graph read from it
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

9 authors.

Maxwell C AlleyDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Albany Med Health Center, Albany, NY, USA.
W Doug WerryDepartment of Anesthesiology, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Clinics, Lebanon, NH, USA.
Charles A GuerraUniversity of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
Hadley WinslowDivision of Orthopaedic Surgery, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Burlington, MA, USA.
Margaret HedemanBryn Mawr College, PA, USA.
Alan ShiDepartment of Surgery, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
Brian T SamuelsenDivision of Orthopaedic Surgery, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Burlington, MA, USA.
Philip H AurigemmaDivision of Orthopaedic Surgery, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Burlington, MA, USA.
Mark J LemosDivision of Orthopaedic Surgery, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Burlington, MA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Patellar clunk syndrome is a complication of total knee arthroplasty. Surgical treatment with arthroscopic irrigation and debridement and lysis of adhesions is often required when conservative treatment fails. This study examines patient improvement following arthroscopic treatment of patellar clunk. Methods: This single-surgeon case series uses a posterior-stabilized implant design. We performed a retrospective review of all patients from September 2013 to November 2020 treated for patellar clunk syndrome with arthroscopic debridement. Patient variables analyzed included knee flexion/extension angle and symptoms, including pain and mechanical symptoms. Analysis used paired t-tests with an alpha level of 0.05. Results: Fifty procedures were examined. Mean patient age was 61.4 years (standard deviation [SD] = 8.57 years), and 64% were female. Before arthroscopy, the mean maximum knee extension (KE) of the affected side was 0.85° (SD = 3°), and the mean maximum knee flexion (KF) was 120.5° (SD = 9.4°). At the last follow-up, the mean maximum KE was 0.36° (SD = 1.3°), and the mean maximum KF was 123.1° (SD = 9.4°). Paired t-tests comparing preoperative and postoperative KF and KE were Conclusions: Arthroscopic treatment of symptomatic patellar clunk syndrome is safe and effective: almost all included patients experienced symptom relief, with a slight improvement in KF. This was a retrospective cohort study with a level of evidence of III.

Indexed as

Arthroscopic irrigationDebridementKnee extensionPatellar clunkPosterior-stabilized implantTotal knee arthroplasty

Identifiers

PMID42305558
PMCPMC13265712

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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.