Specialized instruments and modular implants for minimally invasive total knee arthroplasty

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) total knee arthroplasty (TKA) aims to reduce invasiveness while maintaining surgical efficacy.
• Early MIS TKA approaches relied on miniaturized instruments and navigation to overcome visualization challenges.
• The quadriceps-sparing approach introduced specialized tools beneficial for various MIS TKA techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review innovations in instrumentation and components for MIS TKA.
• To assess the potential benefits of new technologies in MIS TKA.
• To highlight ongoing technological advancements in the field.

Main Methods:

• Review of advancements in MIS TKA instrumentation, including specialized cutting tools.
• Examination of novel implant designs, such as precoated stemmed tibial implants.
• Discussion of modular implant components and their assembly tools for in vivo application.

Main Results:

• New instrumentation, including side-cutting tools, facilitates MIS TKA approaches.
• Innovations extend to implant components, with modular designs enabling in vivo assembly.
• Initial clinical experiences with these MIS TKA technologies are promising.

Conclusions:

• Technological advancements in instrumentation and implants are enhancing MIS TKA.
• Continued innovation is expected to further optimize MIS TKA procedures.
• Early results suggest a positive trajectory for MIS TKA with new technologies.