Computer-assisted and robotic surgery in orthopedics: where we are in 2014

Successful outcomes after orthopedic surgical procedures are believed to be highly dependent on reproducible anatomic accuracy. Immediate intraoperative feedback helps surgeons to achieve this accuracy as has been demonstrated with the use of fluoroscopy. Non-image-based computer navigation has been used in joint arthroplasty, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, high tibial osteotomy, and cartilage procedures along with applications in hip and shoulder arthroscopy. Most short-term studies have demonstrated superior accuracy when compared with conventional techniques; however, very few studies have shown better clinical outcomes. Robotic-assisted surgery has been most popular in total and unicompartmental arthroplasty, which again has greater accuracy but similar clinical outcomes when compared with conventional techniques. Economic analyses indicate that these high-cost technologies may only be cost-effective in high-volume centers. Other studies have shown that computer navigation improves the accuracy of lower volume surgeons to a greater degree than higher volume surgeons allowing the former to have results similar to the latter.