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Official Journal of the Italian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology

Table 4 Summary of studies comparing midline, medial parapatellar and anterolateral incisions

From: A prospective randomized study in 20 patients undergoing bilateral TKA comparing midline incision to anterolateral incision

Study

Type of study

Variables in comparison

Type of incision /no. of knees

Follow-up duration (mean)

Difference in postoperative lateral flap numbness

Postoperative neuroma (no. of years from surgery)

Scar Healing

Wound dehiscence/hematoma formation

Range of motion

Functional recovery

Sundaram et al. [20]

Prospective randomized

Different patients/different time

ML/76

2.7 years

No difference

No difference

MP/91

Shetty et al. [18]

Prospective randomized

Different patients/different time

ML/25

6 weeks

Significantly less with AL

More wound dehiscence with ML/–

Better flexion in AL

AL better in early flexion recovery

AL/24

Berg et al. [2]

Retrospective

Different patients/different time

MP/33

3 years

Significantly less with AL

14/32 (6)

AL/31

3/31 (6)

Laffose et al. [13]

Prospective randomized

Different patients/different time

ML/32

1 year

Significantly less with AL

0 (1)

0/0

No difference

No difference

AL/31

0 (1)

0/2

Current study

Prospective randomized in bilateral simultaneous TKR patients

Same patients/same time

ML/20

1 year

Significantly less with AL

0 (1)

No difference at 1 year

1/0

No difference

No difference

AL/20

0 (1)

0/0

  1. ML midline incision, MP medial parapatellar, AL anterolateral