Treatment options other than total knee arthroplasty in young patients with knee osteoarthritis: Part II

Symptomatic articular knee pathology is not isolated to the aged but also affects younger patients. Although total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains the gold standard treatment, surgery for gonarthrosis is frequently eschewed in younger patients because of concerns over activity limitations and implant longevity. Furthermore, TKA may be an excessive treatment for some young patients with focally symptomatic lesions but otherwise normal knee joints. Fortunately, non-TKA surgical options such as osteotomy, patellofemoral arthroplasty, and cartilage-specific treatments are available and, given appropriate implementation, provide reliable pain relief, function, and quality of life. This article reviews the indications and recent publications regarding these non-TKA surgical treatments for symptomatic articular knee pathology.