[A retrospective study on two different surgical robots to assist total knee arthroplasty]

To compare early clinical and imaging results of domestic HURWA and imported Brainlab Knee3 surgical robot-assisted knee replacement.

A retrospective analysis was performed on 93 patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) who underwent robot-assisted descending total knee arthroplasty(TKA) from January 2021 to July 2023, and they were divided into BRATKA group and HRATKA group according to use of robotic system. There were 40 patients in BRATKA group, including 16 males and 24 females, aged from 55 to 90 years old with an average of (64.3±7.0) years old;27 patients with grade Ⅲ and 13 patients with grade Ⅳ according to Kellgren-Lawrence(K-L);18 patients on the right side and 22 patients on the left side;the courses of disease ranged from 1 to 30 years with an average of (15.3±7.6) years;imported Brainlab Knee3 surgical robot assisted system was adopted. There were 53 patients in HRATKA group, including 18 males and 35 females, aged from 52 to 81 years old with an average of (64.4±8.5) years old;30 patients with grade Ⅲ and 23 patients with grade Ⅳ;21 patients on the right side and 32 patients on the left side;the courses of disease ranged from 1 to 32 years with an average of (16.4±7.9) years;HURWA surgical robot assisted system was adopted. Operation time, perioperative total blood loss, incision length and postoperative complications were compared between two groups. Deviation angle of hip-knee-ankle angle(HKAA) before operation and on the first day after operation was compared between two groups. Later tibal component (LTC), frontal femoral component (FFC), later femoral component (LFC) and frontal tibal component(FTC) at 1 day after on the first day after operation was compared between two groups. Knee Society score(KSS), visual analogue scale (VAS) and range of motion (ROM) of knee joint were compared between two groups before operation and on the 3rd and 90th day after operation.

Both groups were followed up for 11 to 18 months with an average of (14.4±2.1) months, and the wounds of all patients healed well. Operation time and incision length of BRATKA group were (132.1±34.6) min and (12.9±1.9) cm, while (94.1±10.8) min and (14.8±2.1) cm in HRATKA group, respectively, and the differences between two groups were statistically significant(P<0.05). There were no significant difference in perioperative total blood loss and preoperative deviation angle of HKAA between two groups(P>0.05). Deviation angle of HKAA, FFC angle and LFC angle in BRATKA group were (1.90±0.91) °, (87.90±1.51) ° and(9.00±3.2) °, respectively;while (0.93±1.04) °, (89.03±0.96) ° and (7.63±0.59) ° in HRATKA group, respectively, and the differences between two groups were statistically significant (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in FTC and LTC between two groups(P>0.05). There were no significant differences in VAS of knee rest and exercise, KSS score and ROM of knee joint between two groups before operation and 3 days and 90 days after operation(P>0.05). There was no significant difference in complications between two groups (P>0.05).

Postoperative imaging of two robot systems showed good lower limb force line. The domestic HRATKA group had better LFC, FFC angle and HKA deviation angle than the imported BRATKA group, but there were no significant difference in postoperative knee function and pain relief.