A non-CT based total knee arthroplasty system featuring complete soft-tissue balancing

Abstract

The postoperative result of a total knee arthroplasty strongly depends on surgical performance. Since the classical instrumentation does not allow the surgeon to find the optimal positions of components in any situation and to perform an adequate ligament balancing, we developed a non-CT based computer-assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty system. The system contains four main parts: the anatomy registration, the soft-tissue balancing navigation, the planning, and the resections navigation part. The registration of the patient anatomy allows the alignment of the prosthesis component according to the mechanical axis. Beside this, the implementation of soft tissue balancing and intraoperative planning is required for a good postoperative kinematics result. We collected early experiences in various in-vivo and in-vitro tests, where the average postoperative Varus/Valgus angle was 1.8 degree.