The Medially Pedicled IPFP flap in TKA

This is a single-center prospective cohort study in which patients were evaluated by inclusion and exclusion criteria before total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This study aims to recruit 200 patients across a single centre over 1 year. Eligible patients will be included in this study after signing the informed consent form. Before TKA, the patients will be randomly assigned to either an experimental group ("The medially pedicled IPFP flap" group) or a control group ("complete IPFP removal" group) and administered different management of the IPFP during surgery. Assessment of knee function will be performed at baseline, preoperatively, and during the 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months postoperative follow-up periods to evaluate the patients' prognostic outcomes. The primary outcomes are the intraoperative bleeding, the visual analogue scale (VAS) score and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). Secondary outcomes include American Knee Society Knee Score (KSS), Insall-Salvati Ratio (ISR) and knee joint range of motion (ROM). All patients voluntarily participated in the study and signed informed consent. During the treatment period, all prospective patients underwent clinical evaluation at the end of total knee arthroplasty and 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months later, aimed at comparing the postoperative pain and inflammatory response between "The medially pedicled IPFP flap" group and "complete IPFP removal" group, to explore the optimal perioperative analgesic modality for TKA. Statistical analyses utilizing regression models and survival analysis will be conducted to assess the relationships between the management of the IPFP and postoperative efficacy.