Accuracy of dynamic tactile-guided unicompartmental knee arthroplasty

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) can achieve excellent clinical and functional results for patients having single-compartment osteoarthritis. However, UKA is considered to be technically challenging to perform, and malalignment of implant components significantly contributes to UKA failures. It has been shown that surgical navigation and tactile robotics could be used to provide very accurate component placement when the bones were rigidly fixed in a stereotactic frame during preparation. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the clinically realized accuracy of UKA component placement using surgical navigation and tactile robotics when the bones are free to move. A group of 20 knees receiving medial UKA with dynamically referenced tactile-robotic assistance was studied. Implant placement errors were comparable with those achieved using tactile robotics with rigid stereotactic fixation.