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 navigation results in less severe flexion contracture following total knee arthroplasty.
We compared  postoperative flexion contracture  in  navigated total knee arthroplasty ( TKA ) versus  conventional TKA .  Two groups ( Group 1 :  conventional  , Group 2 : navigated ) of 235 consecutive patients matched for age and gender were retrospectively compared . Range of motion , mechanical axes , Knee Society Scores , Oxford Knee Scores and Short Form-36 ® ( SF-36 ) scores were collected prospect ively and compared preoperatively and at 2years following TKA . At 2years , patients who underwent navigated TKA averaged significantly lesser flexion contracture of 1 degree compared to 6 degrees in patients who underwent conventional TKA . There were a significantly larger proportion of outliers in the conventional group . Computer navigation results in less severe flexion contracture and less frequent flexion contracture of more than 5 degrees as compared to conventional techniques
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 .