Does Fibrosis Diathesis Influence the Recovery of Knee Mobility After Total Knee Replacement?

At the standard follow-up moment one year after primary TKA for gonarthrosis, all patients will be checked for signs of fibrosis diathesis. This will be done by examining their hands for Dupuytren's nodules and contractures and recording risk factors associated with increased severity and risk of recurrence of Dupuytren's contracture. These include family history, bilateral DD, and ectopic lesions, age of onset less than 50 years, male gender, Ledderhose disease, first ray involvement, multiple ray involvement and ectopic fibromatosis.

This way, two groups of patients will be identified: those with and those without signs of fibrosis diathesis. For both groups, the range of motion (ROM) of the operated knee at 3 and 6 months will be retrieved in the charts, the ROM at 12 months will be measured at that time. Also, additional procedures performed to increase ROM postoperatively will be retrieved from the charts (e.g. continuous passive motion, mobilization under anesthesia). Other causes for knee stiffness will have to be recorded, since these will be the most important exclusion criteria.

In the patients with clear signs of finger contractures, any impression of increase of contracture over the past 12 months will be recorded.