Robotic-assisted Conversion of Arthrodesis to Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty

Conversion of arthrodesis to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is technically demanding surgical procedure. In the literature, most cases are treated with stemmed semi-constrained or hinged prostheses. We present a case of a robotic-assisted conversion of arthrodesis to primary TKA (rTKA) in a 35-year-old patient using a non-constrained posterior stabilized implant. At follow-up, the patient reported outcomes improved remarkably with the highest increase for function and activities of daily living and a substantial improvement of health-related quality of life. This article is the first report of robotic-assisted conversion of arthrodesis to TKA using a non-constrained implant, thus it may serve as a proof of concept for the use of robotics for desarthrodesis. Future studies are warranted to investigate the long-term outcomes in a larger patient cohort.