ObjectiveThe compare the clinical efficacies of resurfacing and non-resurfacing the patella in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in osteoarthritis patients, so as to provide evidence for clinical practice.MethodsA comprehensive search for relevant studies was performed in PubMed (January 1966 to December 2010), EMBASE(1969 January to December 2010) and the Cochrane Libray databases. Only randomized control trials comparing the outcomes (incidence of anterior knee pain, revision rate, and reoperation rate, etc.) of resurfacing and nonresurfacing patella in patients undertaking primary TKA were included in the present analysis. ResultsNine independent randomized clinical trials were finally identified. Analysis of these trials showed that patellar resurfacing failed to make significant difference in incidence of anterior knee pain, revision rate, or reoperation rate compared with the non-surfacing group.ConclusionPatellar resurfacing can not reduce the incidence of anterior knee pain, revision rate, or reoperation rate in patients undergoing primary TKA, and therefore can not contribute to a better outcome in these patients.