PROSPECTIVE COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN NAVIGATION ASSISTED MINIMALLY INVASIVE AND CONVENTIONAL TECHNIQUES IN BILATERAL TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTIES

Abstract

This prospective study was undertaken to compare the clinical and radiological results achieved using navigation assisted minimally invasive (NA-MIS) and conventional (CON) techniques in bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Forty-two bilateral patients with a minimum 2-year follow-up who were available for study after NA-MIS TKA were included in this study. Clinical evaluations (ROM, HSS and WOMAC scores) were performed at 3 and 6 months and at 1 & 2 year postoperatively. Patient subjective preferences and radiological accuracies were compared at 1 year postoperatively.

Preoperative HSS scores were 68.5 in the NA-MIS group and 66.5 in the CON group, and these scores improved to 93.6 and 92.5 at 1 year postoperatively, respectively. Knees had a higher average HSS score in NA-MIS group than in the CON group till six months, but not after nine months postoperatively. In terms of WOMAC scores, pain scores in the NA-MIS group were better up to nine months postoperatively, but not at one & 2 year postoperatively, and total WOMAC scores were better up to six months, but not after nine months postoperatively. ROM was comparable in both groups at all times. However, more patients preferred NA-MIS sides than CON sides. Radiological results demonstrated no difference between the mean values of the two groups, although the NA-MIS group contained fewer outliers than the CON group.

NA-MIS TKA results in better functional scores than CON-TKA over the first or nine months postoperatively. However, no differences in any functional parameters were evident at one & two year postoperatively.