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Navigated total knee arthroplasty: is it error-free?

  • Knee
  • Published:
Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to determine whether errors do occur in navigated total knee arthroplasty (TKAs) and to study whether errors in bone resection or implantation contribute to these errors.

Methods

A series of 20 TKAs was studied using computer navigation. The coronal and sagittal alignments of the femoral and tibial cutting guides, the coronal and sagittal alignments of the final tibial implant and the coronal alignment of the final femoral implant were compared with that of the respective bone resections. To determine the post-implantation mechanical alignment of the limb, the coronal alignment of the femoral and tibial implants was combined.

Results

The median deviation between the femoral cutting guide and bone resection was 0° (range −0.5° to +0.5°) in the coronal plane and 1.0° (range −2.0° to +1.0°) in the sagittal plane. The median deviation between the tibial cutting guide and bone resection was 0.5° (range −1.0° to +1.5°) in the coronal plane and 1.0° (range −1.0° to +3.5°) in the sagittal plane. The median deviation between the femoral bone resection and the final implant was 0.25° (range −2.0° to 3.0°) in the coronal plane. The median deviation between the tibial bone resection and the final implant was 0.75° (range −3.0° to +1.5°) in the coronal plane and 1.75° (range −4.0° to +2.0°) in the sagittal plane. The median post-implantation mechanical alignment of the limb was 0.25° (range −3.0° to +2.0°).

Conclusions

When navigation is used only to guide the positioning of the cutting jig, errors may arise in the manual, non-navigated steps of the procedure. Our study showed increased cutting errors in the sagittal plane for both the femur and the tibia, and following implantation, the greatest error was seen in the sagittal alignment of the tibial component. Computer navigation should be used not only to guide the positioning of the cutting jig, but also to check the bone resection and implant position during TKA.

Level of evidence

IV.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr Khin Lay Wai, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore for assisting us in our statistical analysis.

Conflict of interest

No authors have signed any agreement with a commercial interest related to this study which would in any way limit publication of any and all data generated for the study or to delay publication for any reason. One of the authors (LK) was previously a consultant for Stryker Orthopaedics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Hip and Knee Surgery, National University Health System, 1E Kent Ridge Road, NUHS Tower Block, Level 11, Singapore, 119228, Singapore

    Kerk Hsiang Zackary Chua, Yongsheng Chen & Krishna Lingaraj

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  1. Kerk Hsiang Zackary Chua
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  2. Yongsheng Chen
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  3. Krishna Lingaraj
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Correspondence to Krishna Lingaraj.

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Chua, K.H.Z., Chen, Y. & Lingaraj, K. Navigated total knee arthroplasty: is it error-free?. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 22, 643–649 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-013-2641-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-013-2641-6

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