Scientific evidence for the use of modern unicompartmental knee arthroplasty

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty as a surgical treatment for monocompartmental knee arthritis remains a controversial procedure with questions surrounding the benefits and survivorship of the procedure versus osteotomies or total knee arthroplasties. The authors, by examining the complete body of literature for scientific evidence concerning the procedure, will describe the history of usage of these prostheses, their rationale for usage, modern devices and their results, and why they may have advantages as a treatment modality for monocompartmental knee arthritis. Outcomes of current unicompartmental designs will be presented and evaluated to determine which aspects of the design and patient selection technique are associated with success or failure. Commonly asked questions regarding the use of these devices will be addressed. The authors will also describe some potential modifications that might affect the use of these components in the future, including minimally invasive procedures and robotics, and how these devices may change over the next 5 years.