Are Korean Patients Different from Other Ethnic Groups in Total Knee Arthroplasty?
10.5792/ksrr.2015.27.4.199
- Author:
Dong Kyoon KIM
1
;
Min Chul SEO
;
Sang Joon SONG
;
Kang Il KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Seoul, Korea. khuknee@gmail.com
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
Knee;
Arthroplasty;
Korean;
Ethnic difference
- MeSH:
Anthropometry;
Arthroplasty;
Asia;
Asian Continental Ancestry Group;
Diagnosis;
Ethnic Groups;
Female;
Hope;
Humans;
Incidence;
Knee;
Life Style;
Lower Extremity;
Osteoarthritis;
Patient Satisfaction;
Pulmonary Embolism;
Venous Thrombosis
- From:The Journal of Korean Knee Society
2015;27(4):199-206
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Most of the implants used for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in Asian patients have been produced based on anthropometry of Western people. Since anatomic features and life styles are different between Western and Eastern people, there would be ethnic differences in terms of conformity of implants to the patient's anatomy or clinical results after TKA. Therefore, surgeons in Asia are particularly interested in related surgical techniques and implant designs used in TKA for improved clinical results and patient satisfaction. In this review, we investigated the anthropometric differences of Koreans from Westerners. Koreans are of shorter stature, less weight, and smaller skeletal structure and have a higher incidence of constitutional varus alignment of the lower extremity. Moreover, compared to Westerner TKA populations, the proportion of female patients was large and primary osteoarthritis was prevalent in preoperative diagnosis in Korean TKA patients. Culturally, Koreans have life styles that demand high flexion positions of the knee such as squatting, kneeling, and cross-legged sitting. Although there were no notable differences in the complication and revision rates following TKA between Westerners and Koreans, the incidence of postoperative deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary thromboembolism was lower in Koreans than Westerners. We hope that further research on implant designs and more interest in TKA will improve outcomes in Korean patients.
