Robotic-Assisted Joint Replacement Beneficial for Revision TKA

FRIDAY, Jan. 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- A robotic-assisted joint replacement is beneficial for revision total knee arthroplasties (TKAs), according to a study published in the February issue of Arthroplasty Today.

Micah MacAskill, M.D., from Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia, and colleagues compared pre-revision and postrevision implant positions in a series of 25 revision TKAs performed using a robotic arm system. Femoral and tibial components were positioned to achieve "balanced" medial and lateral flexion and extension gaps after virtual revision; existing primary implants (PIs) were removed and bone cuts were performed using the robotic arm system. For each individual, the preoperative coronal, sagittal, and axial positions of the PI were compared to the final planned positions of the robotic revision implants (RRIs).

The virtual gaps were balanced within the planning software intraoperatively followed by successful implementation of the plan. The researchers found that compared with PI, there was a significant difference between posterior condylar offset and tibial component positioning for RRI. The distal femoral component values did not differ between PI and RRI.

"Results of this study indicate that sagittal alignment of the revision implants, specifically the femoral posterior condylar offset and tibial component slope, are statistically significant considerations for a stable revision TKA," the authors write. "By utilization of robotic assistance, the surgeon can become more cognizant of how appropriate implant size and alignment directly affects the ligamentous tension that is important for a functional revision TKA."

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