Abstract
In 17 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 25 knee prosthetic replacements (total condylar type in 8, anametric type in 9, geometric type in 3, Macintosh type in 3, and McKeever type in 2) were followed up for a minimum of 10 years (mean period: 12 years) . Among 20 total joint replacements, 2 prostheses required revision because of loosening or late infection after 7 and 5 years, respectively. Malposition of the tibial component was considered to be the factor responsible for loosening of the implant. In 5 hemiarthroplasties, 4 prostheses were revised after an average of 14 years (due to loosening in 2 and osteoarthritic change in the femur in 2) . Although improvement of pain and function was obtained in the majority of the cases, the 7 patients with multiple joint replacements had less improvement of pain and more deterioration of function than those with one or two replacements.
