Richard D. Scott. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2006. 148 pages. $195.00. ISBN: 978-0-7216-3948-2.
This brief yet concise text is the work of a real expert and pioneer in the field of total knee arthroplasty. The text, despite its brevity, covers the topic of total knee arthroplasty well. Typically, the chapters are minimally referenced; however, the author clearly has tremendous experience in the field and he shares this valuable information with the reader. Since the text has a single author, it does not suffer from the vagaries of varying writing styles. The text is well illustrated with intraoperative photographs as well as many schematic diagrams. In addition, a digital video disc is supplied, which provides surgical videos of three common techniques: primary total knee arthroplasty, unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, and surgical management of the valgus knee.
The book is remarkably comprehensive, covering the most common as well as the most difficult problems facing the knee arthroplasty surgeon. I particularly enjoyed the chapter "Staying Out and Getting Out of Trouble During Total Knee Arthroplasty." (The chapter title speaks for itself!) I also found the last chapter, "Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Total Knee Arthroplasty," very interesting because it provides the perspective of an experienced joint arthroplasty surgeon with respect to the most commonly posed questions of patients.
In summary, I found Total Knee Arthroplasty to be a valuable addition to my personal library on the subject, and I believe that the book will be very useful for the practicing orthopaedist who performs total knee arthroplasties as well as for residents who are learning the techniques. It is indeed valuable to learn from the experience of a true expert.