Gradual exacerbation of knee flexion angle after total knee arthroplasty in patients with diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the effect of diabetes mellitus (DM) on knee extension/flexion angle and its early clinical course after total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods

Patients who received TKA were retrospectively divided into two groups based on haemoglobinA1c level; the DM group (23 knees) and the control group (23 knees matched for baseline characteristics). The passive knee extension/flexion angle, gait speed and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score were evaluated preoperatively and at 1, 6 and 12 months postoperatively.

Results

There was no significant difference in the passive knee flexion angle at 1 and 6 months postoperatively between the groups (p = .302, p = .160, respectively). The passive knee flexion angle was significantly lower at 12 months postoperatively in the DM group than the control group (p = .014). In the DM group, the passive knee flexion angle at 6 and 12 months significantly decreased compared with that at 1 month postoperatively (p = .021, p < .001, respectively). There were no significant differences in the knee extension angle, gait speed and JOA score between the groups.

Conclusion

Patients with DM are likely to experience passive knee flexion angle exacerbating from 1 to 6 months after TKA.

Keywords:

• Analysis of variance
• diabetes mellitus
• knee flexion angle
• propensity matching
• total knee arthroplasty

Conflict of interest

None.