The PART Trial
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The clinical and cost-effectiveness of elective primary total knee replacement with PAtellar Resurfacing compared to selective patellar resurfacing. A pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled Trial with blinding (PART)
IRAS ID
320677
Contact name
Ashley Blom
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
North Bristol Trust
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN33276681
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Improving pain and mobility after total knee replacement (TKR) surgery has been highlighted as a research priority by patients. TKR surgery is common. 109,000 are carried out every year in the UK. It is performed to help patients with pain from disabling arthritis.
TKR involves replacing the bottom of the thighbone (femur) and the top of the leg bone (tibia) with artificial implants. Surgeons also decide on one of two options for treating the kneecap:
1) The kneecap (patella) is not changed.
2) The surgeon attaches a separate artificial implant to the back of the kneecap, which may reduce further wear or pain. This is known as resurfacing the kneecap.
National guidance is that always resurfacing is better than never resurfacing.
Many surgeons make an individual choice about whether to resurface the kneecap. This is based on factors such as pain and the condition of the kneecap. We call this selective resurfacing.
Our study will compare patients undergoing TKR who all have the kneecap resurfaced with those who have it selectively resurfaced.
Over 4 years we will recruit 530 patients having TKR at 15 or more NHS England hospitals.
They will be randomly split into two equal groups of 265. All patients in one group will have their kneecap resurfaced. In the other, the surgeon will decide during the operation whether or not to resurface the kneecap.
All other aspects of care will be the same. Follow-up questionnaires at 3-, 6- and 12 months after surgery will be completed. The questionnaires collect data on quality of life, symptoms and pain in the knee, complications of surgery, need for further surgery, and costs to the NHS and patients.
This will find out which strategy gives better outcomes for patients, and whether one is better value for money for the NHS.REC name
Wales REC 2
REC reference
22/WA/0367
Date of REC Opinion
16 Jan 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion