Minimally invasive knee arthroplasty: An overview.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Procedures

Background:

• Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for knee arthroplasty evolved from unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) techniques developed in the 1970s.
• Popularization of MIS for UKA in the 1990s led to its application in total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the development and techniques of minimally invasive surgery for knee arthroplasty.
• To compare the advantages and disadvantages of different MIS approaches for knee replacement.

Main Methods:

• Description of four MIS techniques for knee arthroplasty: quadriceps sparing, mini-mid vastus, mini-subvastus, and mini-medial parapatellar.
• Discussion of instrument requirements and surgeon learning curves for each technique.

Main Results:

• MIS techniques, when appropriately performed, lead to more rapid recovery, reduced pain, less blood loss, and improved range of motion.
• Quadriceps sparing is least invasive but most difficult; mini-mid vastus is most common due to better exposure; mini-subvastus avoids quadriceps incision but is time-consuming; mini-medial parapatellar is familiar for surgeons learning MIS.

Conclusions:

• Minimally invasive knee arthroplasty techniques are accurate and beneficial for patient recovery.
• The choice of MIS technique depends on surgeon experience and patient-specific factors.