The evolving role of navigation in minimally invasive total knee arthroplasty

Surgical navigation systems are either image-guided (computed tomography or fluoroscopy) or imageless-guided. Each system type has its advantages and disadvantages and can be used with minimally invasive surgery (MIS) total knee arthroplasty (TKA). A newer imageless-guided system that incorporates electromagnetic field transmitters and detectors has distinct advantages over imageless-guided systems with bulky, problematic arrays. Navigated surgery holds significant promise for future applications, but navigation technologies should be used with caution for MIS TKA because of their associated anomalies (these technologies sometimes return incorrect information during surgical procedures).