Robotrac in total knee arthroplasty. The silent assistant

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Medical Robotics
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common procedure for knee joint arthritis.
• Current TKA techniques may require significant surgeon assistance and specific positioning.
• Robotic assistance in surgery is an evolving field with potential benefits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a new prerobotic device, Robotrac, for total knee arthroplasty.
• To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of Robotrac in achieving desired knee flexion during TKA.
• To determine the potential for reducing the need for assistant surgeons and associated costs in TKA.

Main Methods:

• Description of the Robotrac prerobotic device and its functionality.
• Application of Robotrac in over 200 consecutive total knee replacement surgeries.
• Observation of the device's ability to hold the femur in various positions for optimal knee flexion.
• Comparison of procedural requirements and costs with and without the device.

Main Results:

• Robotrac effectively holds the femur in any position, facilitating any necessary knee flexion during TKA.
• The device enabled the performance of TKA without additional assistant surgeons in many cases.
• Over 200 consecutive TKA procedures using Robotrac showed no adverse effects.
• A cost saving of approximately $142 Canadian per total knee replacement was observed.

Conclusions:

• Robotrac is a safe and effective prerobotic device for use in total knee arthroplasty.
• The device can streamline TKA procedures, potentially reducing the need for assistant surgeons.
• Robotrac offers significant cost-saving benefits for total knee replacement surgeries.