A literature review of robotic systems showed that these systems can , similarly to computer navigation , reliably improve lower leg alignment , component positioning and soft tissues balancing .
Findings in this study suggest that computer navigation or robotic assistance may help managing these multiple variables and could improve outcomes .
Recently , there is a growing interest in surgical variables that are intraoperatively controlled by orthopaedic surgeons , including lower leg alignment , component positioning and soft tissues balancing .
Since more tight control over these factors is associated with improved outcomes of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty ( TKA ) , several computer navigation and robotic-assisted systems have been developed .
Although mechanical axis accuracy and component positioning have been shown to improve with computer navigation , no superiority in functional outcomes has yet been shown .
This could be explained by the fact that many differences exist between the number and type of surgical variables these systems control .
Most systems control lower leg alignment and component positioning , while some in addition control soft tissue balancing .
Finally , robotic-assisted systems have the additional advantage of improving surgical precision .
Manually controlling all these surgical variables can be difficult for the orthopaedic surgeon .
Computer-navigated versus conventional total knee arthroplasty a prospective randomized trial.
BACKGROUND The literature lacks studies that confirm whether the improved radiographic alignment that can be achieved with computer-navigated total knee arthroplasty improves patients ’ activities of daily living or the durability of total knee prostheses . The purpose of this study was to determine whether computer-navigated total knee arthroplasty improves the clinical function , alignment , and survivorship of the components . METHODS We prospect ively compared the results of 520 patients with osteoarthritis who underwent computer-navigated total knee arthroplasty for one knee and conventional total knee arthroplasty for the other . The assignment of the knee to navigation or not was done r and omly . There were 452 women ( 904 knees ) and sixty-eight men ( 136 knees ) with a mean age of sixty-eight years ( range , forty-nine to eighty-eight years ) at the time of the index arthroplasty . The mean follow-up period was 10.8 years ( range , ten to twelve years ) . The patients were assessed clinical ly and radiographically with the rating system of the Knee Society and with the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index ( WOMAC ) score at three months , one year , and annually thereafter . RESULTS Total knee scores , knee function scores , pain scores , WOMAC scores , knee motion , and activity scores did not show statistically significant differences between the two groups preoperatively or at the time of the final follow-up . Alignment and the survivorship of the components were not significantly different between the two groups . The Kaplan-Meier survivorship with revision as the end point at 10.8 years was 98.8 % ( 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] , 0.96 to 1.00 ) in the computernavigated total knee arthroplasty group and 99.2 % ( 95 % CI , 0.96 to 1.00 ) in the conventional total knee arthroplasty group . CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrated no difference in clinical function or alignment and survivorship of the components between the knees that underwent computer-navigated total knee arthroplasty and those that underwent conventional total knee arthroplasty
A literature review of robotic systems showed that these systems can , similarly to computer navigation , reliably improve lower leg alignment , component positioning and soft tissues balancing .
Findings in this study suggest that computer navigation or robotic assistance may help managing these multiple variables and could improve outcomes .
Recently , there is a growing interest in surgical variables that are intraoperatively controlled by orthopaedic surgeons , including lower leg alignment , component positioning and soft tissues balancing .
Since more tight control over these factors is associated with improved outcomes of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty ( TKA ) , several computer navigation and robotic-assisted systems have been developed .
Although mechanical axis accuracy and component positioning have been shown to improve with computer navigation , no superiority in functional outcomes has yet been shown .
This could be explained by the fact that many differences exist between the number and type of surgical variables these systems control .
Most systems control lower leg alignment and component positioning , while some in addition control soft tissue balancing .
Finally , robotic-assisted systems have the additional advantage of improving surgical precision .
Manually controlling all these surgical variables can be difficult for the orthopaedic surgeon .