Medial Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty vs Total Knee Arthroplasty

In treatment of isolated medial unicondylar osteoarthritis of the knee (MU-OA), it is possible to choose between surgery with a unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA), or a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Supporters of TKA suggest that this treatment gives a more predictable and better result, whereas supporters of UKA suggest that it is unnecessary to remove decent and functional cartilage in other compartments, and also that generally the UKA gives better results under certain circumstances. If the UKA is worn out or loosens, revision surgery will be relatively easy, whereas revision-surgery after a TKA can be much more problematic. Also, it is of great interest to measure the direct costs of these treatments. Both general hospital costs, but also costs in societal in terms of sick-days, pain-killer expenditure, and physiotherapy. The aim of this study is to compare the results, in terms of 1) patient-reported outcomes, 2) clinical results including prosthetic survival and 3) costs.