[Total knee replacement in patients under 60 years with high functional demand: functional outcomes and return to sports after an average 2-year follow-up].

Introduction: a common concern in presurgical medical appointment of total knee replacement medical appointment is return to exercise. The purpose of this study was to analyze functional results and return to sport in patients under 60 years of age after this surgery.

Material and methods: we retrospectively analyzed 41 total knee replacements in 36 athletic patients (average age: 53 years [46-60]). Average follow-up of two years (6 months-5 years). Diagnoses: 37 osteoarthritis, three sequelae of Rheumatoid Arthritis, 1 extra-articular deformity. Functional and radiographic outcomes assessed using modified Knee Society and High Activity Arthroplasty Scores.

Results: average improvement from 31.95 to 91.61 in KSS and average from 7.95 to 13.73 in HAAS. Return to sport in 3.5 months average (range 2-6 months). Three patients did not return to sport.

Conclusions: we consider that delaying surgery in these patients will cause progression in their osteoarthritis pathology and cessation of their sports activities. This makes the surgical technique difficult in addition to reducing the patient's physical performance. Analyzing the survival rate of implants in young patients, more than 80% is reported in a 25-year follow-up.