Introduction
A number of techniques for total knee replacement have been described to allow for easier surgical technique but with preservation of the integrity of extensor mechanism, and one of them is the subvastus (SV) approach. It causes less damage to the extensor mechanism and blood supply, which will cause less pain in the postoperative period and earlier return of quadriceps strength.
Patients and methods
Forty primary total knee replacement patients were divided into two groups, each with 20 patients. Group I had a medial parapatellar (MPP) approach and group II had the SV approach.
Results
The SV approach allowed earlier straight leg raising, shorter hospital stay, earlier quadriceps strength improvement, and better stair score and function score when compared with the traditional MPP group.
Conclusion
The SV approach for primary total knee arthroplasty is less invasive than the conventional MPP approach when considering vascular and muscular anatomy.