Introduction. The conventional bone resection technique in TKA is recognized as less accurate than computer-assisted surgery (CAS) and patient-matched instrumentation (PMI). However, these systems are not available to all surgeons performing TKAs. Furthermore, it was recently reported that PMI accuracy is not always better than that of the conventional bone resection technique. As such, most surgeons use the conventional technique for distal femur and proximal tibia resection, and efforts to improve bone resection accuracy with conventional technique are necessary. Here, we examined intraoperative X-rays after bone resection of the distal femur and proximal tibia with conventional bone resection technique. If the cutting angle was not good and the difference from preoperative planning was over 3º, we considered re-cutting the bone to correct the angle. Methods. We investigated 117 knees in this study. The cutting angle of the distal femur was preoperatively determined by whole-length femoral X-ray. The conventional technique with an intramedullary guide system was used for distal femoral perpendicular resection to the mechanical axis. Proximal tibial cutting was performed perpendicular to the tibial shaft with an extramedullary guide system. The cutting angles of the distal femur and proximal tibia were estimated by intraoperative X-ray with the lower limb in extension position. When the cutting angle was over 3º different from the preoperatively planned angle, re-cutting of distal femur or proximal tibia was considered. Results. On the intraoperative X-ray, the average femoral cutting angle difference from preoperative planning was 0.1º (SD: 2.6º) and the average tibial cutting angle was 1.1º varus (SD: 1.8º). Over 3º and 5º outlier cases were observed in 15 knees and 5 knees on the femoral side and in 15 knees and 3 knees on the tibial side respectively. Cutting angle correction was performed in 18 knees on the distal femur and 17 knees on the proximal tibia. On the postoperative X-ray, over 3º and 5º outliers were observed in 16 knees and only 1 knee on the femoral side and in 11 knees and no cases on the tibial side respectively. Cases with outliers over 3º were not different between intra- and postoperative estimation; however, the number of over 5º outliers was decreased from 8 knees (6.8%) to 1 knee (0.9%) including both the femoral and tibial sides (p < 0.05, Chi-square test). Discussion. Precise bone cutting technique is important for TKA; however, the bone resection accuracy of the conventional technique is far from satisfactory. CAS, PMI, and portable navigation have been developed for precise bone resection in TKA. However, these new technologies involve additional cost and have not been clearly shown to improve accuracy. Most surgeons currently use the conventional technique, and we think it is possible to improve bone resection accuracy with the conventional technique in TKA. Our method is simple and requires just one intraoperative X-ray. This is cost-effective and can be performed by most surgeons. Our results indicate that a single intraoperative X-ray can reduce the number of excessive bone resection angle outliers in TKA

Objective. In a cruciate retaining total knee arthroplasty (CR-TKA) for patients with flexion contracture, to ensure that an extension gap is of sufficient size to install an implant, the amount of distal femur bone resection needed is frequently larger in a patient with knee flexion contracture than in one without contracture. In this study, we compared the distal femur bone resection amount, the component-secured extension gap margin value, and the range of motion at 6 months after surgery between patients with knee flexion contracture and those without knee flexion contracture. Method. We examined 51 joints including 27 joints in patients with preoperative extension limitation of less than 5 degrees (the F0 group) and 24 joints in patients with limitation of 15 degrees or larger (up to 33 degrees; the FC group) who underwent CR-TKA with LCS RP (DePuy Synthes) between May 2013 and April 2014. In case with an extension gap 3 mm or smaller than the flexion gap after initial bone resection, we released posterior capsule adequately, trying to minimize the distal femur additional bone resection amount as possible. With installation of a femoral trial, the component gaps were measured using spacer blocks. The measured parameters included the intraoperative bone resection length, gap difference (FG − EG, i.e., difference between the flexion gap [FG] and extension gap [EG]), and range of motion 6 months after surgery. Results. No inter-group difference was found in the length of the distal femur bone initially resected in the medial side of distal femur(F0: 6.7 ± 1.3 mm, FC: 6.1 ± 1.4 mm) and total length of bone resection (= first + additional resection) in the lateral proximal tibia (F0: 10.3 ± 1.9 mm, FC: 10.4 ± 2.1 mm). The length of the additional distal femur bone resected was 0.9 ± 1.3 mm in the F0 and 1.5 ± 1.2 mm in the FC (P = 0.06; Mann-Whitney U). The FG-EG (F0: 0.7 ± 0.9 mm, FC: 0.6 ± 0.8 mm) showed no remarkable inter-group difference. The mean range of motion was changed from −2.3° to −0.6° at extension and from 130.4° to 128.7° at flexion in the F0 and from −19.8° to −2.7° at extension and from 113.7° to 122.3° at flexion in the FC. Conclusions. The amount of distal femur bone resected should not be simply increased because this may elevate the joint line, narrow the flexion range, and cause the joint instability in mid-flexion. The results of this study show that, in CR-TKA for patients with flexion contracture up to 30°, the length of distal femoral bone resection of approximately 1 mm larger than that in patients without contracture may ensure an extension gap of necessary and sufficient length to install an implant

BACKGROUND. We conducted this study to determine if the pre-surgical patient specific instrumented planning based on Computed tomography scans can accurately predict each of the femoral and tibial resections. The technique helps in optimization of component positioning and hence overall alignment thereby reducing errors. This makes it less invasive, more efficient and cost effective. The surgical plan in combination with the cutting guides determine the resection thickness, component size, femoral rotation and femoral and tibial component alignment. Several clinical studies have shown that PSI is safe, accurate and reproducible in primary TKA. Accurate preparation of the femoral and tibial surfaces will determine alignment and component positioning and this in turn reflects on function and longevity. METHODS. The study was conducted prospectively between May 2016 and December 2017 in our institution. Patients admitted over a period of these twenty months were included in the study. Patients with primary or secondary osteoarthritis (OA) and inflammatory arthritis who were suitable to undergo patient-specific TKA were included in the study. Patients with conventional instrumented TKR and those with significant deformities requiring constrain including valgus or varus of greater than 20 degrees with incompetent lateral or medial collateral ligaments were excluded from the study along with revisions of partial knee to TKA using PSI blocks. Prophecy® Preoperative Navigation 3D printed Guides were used for the Evolution Medial Pivot knee replacement system (. Microport Orthopaedics (Arlington, TN 38002, USA)). in all cases. The operating surgeon measured all the resections made (4 femoral and 2 tibial) using vernier calipers intraoperatively. These measurements were then compared with the preoperative CT predicted bone resection surgical planning. The senior author (IN) also designed markings on the tibial cutting blocks to improve accurate placement on the tibia and further markings on the femoral cutting blocks to ensure accurate positioning and rotational alignment improving accuracy of the cuts and femoral rotation. Further markings by senior surgeon (IN) on the pre-operative plans included tibial rotational plans in relation to the tibial tubercle. RESULTS. A total of 3618 readings were calculated from 201 knees (105 right and 96 left). There were 112 females and 76 males, and the average age was 67.72 years (44 to 90 years) and average BMI 32.3 (25.1 to 42.3). The surgical time ranged from 46 to 102 minutes with a mean operating time of 62 minutes. All Femoral and Tibial blocks sat accurately on the bony surfaces before being pinned. 94% of all collected resection readings were below the error margin of ≤1.5 mm of which 90% showed resection error of ≤1mm. Mean error of different resections were ≤0.60 mm (P ≤ 0.0001). In 24% of measurements there were no errors or deviations from the templated resection (0.0 mm). CONCLUSION. The 3D printed cutting blocks with slots for jigs accurately predict bone resections in PSI total knee arthroplasty which would directly affect component positioning and hence longevity and function

Introduction. Although, the total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedure is performed to make the same extension gap (EG) and flexion gap (FG) of the knee, it is not clear how the gaps can be created equally. According to earlier reports, the gaps after bone resection (bone gaps) differ from the gaps after the trial component of the femur is set (component gaps), because of the thickness of the posterior condyle of the femoral component and the tension of the posterior capsule. The surgeon can only check the component gaps after completing the bone resection and setting the trial component and it difficult to adjust the gaps even when the acquired component gaps are inadequate. To resolve this problem, we developed a “pre-cut trial component” for use in a pre-cut technique for the femoral posterior condyle (Fig. 1). This specially made trial component allows us to check the component gaps before the final bone resection of the femur. Materials and methods. The pre-cut trial component is composed of an 8-mm-thick usual distal part and a 4-mm-thick posterior part of the femoral component, and lacks an anterior part of the femoral component. With this pre-cut trail component, 152 knees were investigated. The EG was made by standard resection of distal femur and proximal tibia. The FG was made by a 4 mm pre-cut from the posterior condylar line of the femoral posterior condyle (Fig. 2). The rotation of the pre-cut line is initially decided by anatomical landmarks. Once all of the osteophytes are removed and the bone gaps are checked, the pre-cut trial component is attached to the femur and the component gaps are estimated with the patella reduction (Fig. 3). In our experiments, these gaps were the same as the component gaps after the usual trial component was set via the measured resection technique. Finally, the femur is completely resected according to the measurements of the component gaps with the pre-cut trial component. Results. The bone gaps were 18.4±2.4 (mean ± standard deviation) mm in extension and 16.5±2.7 mm in flexion. From these results, the expected component gaps were 10.8±2.7 (bone gap −8) mm in extension and 12.5±2.7 (bone gap −4) mm in flexion. After the pre-cut trial component was set, the measured component gaps were 9.4±2.8 mm in extension and 12.5±2.8 mm in flexion. The EG became 1.5±1.0 mm smaller than expected, and the change of FG was 0.2±0.5 mm. While no large decrease of EG was noted, the variation was not insubstantial (0∼5 mm). Conclusion. The difference between the bone gap and component gap is very important for an adequate EG and FG in the TKA procedure. Yet with the conventional technique, the component gap is impossible to estimate before the final bone resection. If unacceptable results are discovered after the component gaps are estimated, the gaps are difficult to correct. With the technique we present here, the component gaps can be checked before final bone resection and truly precise gap control can be attained

Distal femur resection for correction of flexion contractures in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can lead to joint line elevation, abnormal knee kinematics and patellofemoral problems. The aim of this retrospective study was to establish the contribution of soft tissue releases and bony cuts in the change in maximum knee extension in TKA. Data were available for 209 navigated TKAs performed by a single surgeon using a medial approach. All patients had the same cemented implant, either CR or PS, which both required a minimum thickness of 10 mm for the tibial and 9mm for the femoral component. Intra-operatively pre- and post-implant extension angles and the size of bone resection were collected using a commercial navigation system. The thickness of polyethylene insert and the extent of soft tissue release performed (no release, moderate and extensive release) were collected from the patient record. A univariate linear regression model was used to predict change in maximum extension from pre- to post-implant. The mean bone resection was 19mm (15 to 28 mm) (Figure 1).79% of polyethylene inserts were 10mm thick (10 to 16 mm). 71% of knees had no soft tissue release. The mean increase in extension was 5° (11° decrease to 23° increase) (Figure 1). The analysis showed that bone cuts (p<0.001), soft tissue release (p=0.001) and insert thickness (p=0.010) were all significant terms in the model (r. 2. adj. =0.170). This model predicted that carrying out a TKA with 19mm bone cuts, 10mm insert and no soft tissue release would give 4.2° increase in extension. It predicted that a moderate release would give a 2.8° increase in extension compared to no release, with an extensive release giving 3.9° increase over no release. For each mm increase in bone cuts the model predicted a 0.8° increase in extension and for each mm increase in insert size a decrease extension by 1.1°. Preoperative FFC contracture is a frequent condition in TKA that the surgeon has to address either by resecting more bone or by extending soft tissue release to increase the extension gap to fit the knee implant. This analysis of 209 navigated knee arthroplasty showed that both options are suitable to increase the extension gap. The modelling results show that in general to increase maximum extension by the same as an extensive soft tissue release that bone cuts would have to be increased by 4–5mm. However this model only accounted for 17% of the variation in change in extension pre- to post-implant so is poor at predicting outcomes for specific patients. The large variation in actual FFC correction indicates that this relies on factors other than bone cuts and soft tissue releases as quantified in this study

Objective

In this study, we aim to compare total bone amount extracted in total knee arthroplasty in implant design and the bone amount extracted through intercondylar femoral notch cut.

Introduction. Aneurysmal bone cysts commonly found in lower limbs are locally aggressive masses that can lead to bony erosion, instability and fractures. This has major implications in the lower limbs especially in paediatric patients, with potential growth disturbance and deformity. In this case series we describe radical aneurysmal bone cyst resection and lower limb reconstruction using cable transport and syndesmosis preservation. Materials & Methods. Case 1 - A 12-year-old boy presented with a two-week history of atraumatic right ankle pain. An X-ray demonstrated a distal tibia metaphyseal cyst confirmed on biopsy as an aneurysmal bone cyst. The cyst expanded on interval X-rays from 5.5cm to 8.5cm in 9 weeks. A wide-margin en-bloc resection was performed leaving a 13.8cm tibial defect. A cable transport hexapod frame and a proximal tibial osteotomy was performed, with syndesmosis screw fixation. The transport phase lasted 11 months. While in frame, the boy sustained a distal femur fracture from a fall. The femur and the docking site were plated at the same sitting and frame removed. At one-year post-frame removal he is pain-free, with full ankle dorsiflexion but plantarflexion limited to 25 degrees. He has begun graduated return to sport. Results. Case 2 - A 12-year-old girl was referred with a three-month history of lateral left ankle swelling. X-ray demonstrated an aneurysmal bone cyst in the distal fibula metaphysis. The cyst grew from 4.2 × 2.3cm to 5.2 × 3.32cm in 2 months. A distal fibula resection (6.2cm) with syndesmosis fixation and hexapod cable transport frame were undertaken. The frame was in situ for 13 weeks and during this time she required an additional osteotomy for premature consolidation and had one pin site infection. After 13 weeks a second syndesmosis screw was placed, frame removed, and a cast applied. 3 months later she had fibular plating, BMAC and autologous iliac crest bone graft for slow union. At 3 years post-operative she has no evidence of recurrence, is pain-free and has no functional limitation. Conclusions. We describe two cases of ankle syndesmosis preservation using cable transport for juxta-articular aneurysmal bone cysts. This allows wide resection to prevent recurrence while also preserving primary ankle stability and leg length in children. Both children had a minor complication, but both had an excellent final outcome. Cable bone transport and prophylactic syndesmosis stabilization allows treatment of challenging juxta-articular aneurysmal bone cysts about the ankle. These techniques are especially useful in large bone defects

INTRODUCTION. Mechanical alignment in TKA introduces significant anatomic modifications for many individuals, which may result in unequal medial-lateral or flexion-extension bone resections. The objective of this study was to calculate bone resection thicknesses and resulting gap sizes, simulating a measured resection mechanical alignment technique for TKA. METHODS. Measured resection mechanical alignment bone resections were simulated on 1000 consecutive lower limb CT-Scans from patients undergoing TKA. Bone resections were simulated to reproduce the following measured resection mechanical alignment surgical technique. The distal femoral and proximal tibial cuts were perpendicular to the mechanical axis, setting the resection depth at 8mm from the most distal femoral condyle and from the most proximal tibial plateau (Figure 1). If the resection of the contralateral side was <0mm, the resection level was increased such that the minimum resection was 0mm. An 8mm resection thickness was based on an implant size of 10mm (bone +2mm of cartilage). Femoral rotation was aligned with either the trans-epicondylar axis or with 3 degrees of external rotation to the posterior condyles. After simulation of the bone cuts, media-lateral gap difference and flexion-extension gaps difference were calculated. The gap sizes were calculated as the sum of the femoral and tibial bone resections, with a target bone resection of 16mm (+ cartilage corresponding to the implant thickness). RESULTS. For both the varus and valgus knees, the created gaps in the medial and lateral compartments were reduced in the vast majority of cases (<16mm). The insufficient lateral condyle resection distalises the lateral joint surface by a mean of 2.1mm for the varus and 4.4mm for the valgus knees. The insufficient medial tibial plateau resection proximalises the medial joint surface by 3.3mm for the varus and 1.2mm for the valgus knees. Medio-lateral gap imbalances in the extension space of more than 2mm) occurred in 25% of varus and 54% of valgus knees and significant imbalances of more than 5mm were present in up to 8% of varus and 19% of valgus knees. Higher medio-lateral gap imbalances in the flexion space were created with trans epicondylar axis versus 3 degrees to the posterior condyles (p<0.001). Using trans epicondylar axis, only 49% of varus and 18% of valgus knees had less than 3mm of imbalance in both media-lateral and flexion-extension gaps together. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION. A systematic use of the tested measured resection mechanical alignment technique for TKA leads to many cases with medio-lateral or flexion-extension gap asymmetries. Some medio-lateral imbalances may not be correctable surgically and may results in TKA instability. Other versions of the mechanical alignment technique or other alignment methods that better reproduce knee anatomies should be explored. For any figures or tables, please contact the authors directly

Abstract. Background. Conventional TKR aims for neutral mechanical alignment which may result in a smaller lateral distal femoral condyle resection than the implant thickness. We aim to explore the mismatch between implant thickness and bone resection using 3D planning software used for Patient Specific Instrumentation (PSI) TKR. Methods. This is a retrospective anatomical study from pre-operative MRI 3D models for PSI TKR. Cartilage mapping allowed us to recreate the native anatomy, enabling us to quantify the mismatch between the distal lateral femoral condyle resection and the implant thickness. Results. We modelled 292 knees from PSI TKR performed between 2012 and 2015. There were 225 varus knees and 67 valgus knees, with mean supine hip-knee-angle of 5.6±3.1 degrees and 3.6±4.6 degrees, respectively. In varus knees, the mean cartilage loss from medial and lateral femoral condyle was 2.3±0.7mm and 1.1±0.8mm respectively; the mean overstuffing of the lateral condyle 1.9±2.2mm. In valgus knees, the mean cartilage loss from medial and lateral condyle was 1.4±0.8mm and 1.5±0.9mm respectively; the mean overstuffing of the lateral condyle was 4.1±1.9mm. Conclusions. Neutral alignment TKR often results in overstuffing of the lateral condyle. This may increase the patello-femoral pressure at the lateral facet in flexion. Anterior knee pain may be persistent even after patellar resurfacing due to tight lateral retinacular structures. An alternative method of alignment such as anatomic alignment may minimise this problem

Introduction. Studies have shown that dissatisfaction following TKA may stem from poor component placement and iatrogenic factors related to variability in surgical execution. A CT-based robotic assisted system (RA) allows surgeons to dynamically balance the joint prior to bone resection. This study aimed to determine if this system could improve TKA planning, reduce soft tissue releases, minimize bone resection, and accurately predict component size in varus knee. Method. Four hundred and seventy four cases with varus deformity undergoing primary RATKA were enrolled in this prospective, single center and surgeon study. Patient demographics and intraoperative surgical details were collected. Initial and final 3-dimensional alignment, component position, bone resection depths, use of soft tissue releases, knee balancing gaps, and component size were collected intraoperatively. WOMAC and KOOS Jr. scores were collected 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. Descriptive statistics were applied to determine the changes in these parameters between initial and final values. Results. Native deformity ranged from 1 to 19 degrees of varus. 86% of patients in this study did not require a soft tissue release regardless of their level of coronal or sagittal deformity. Complex deformities who required a soft tissue release were corrected on average to 3 degrees varus while cases without releases were corrected to 2 degrees varus on average with the overall goal as traditional mechanical alignment. All surgeons achieved their planned sizes on the tibia and femur more than 98% of the time within one size, and 100% of the time within two sizes. Flexion and extension gaps during knee balancing were within 2mm (mean 1mm) for all knees. At latest follow-up, radiographic evidence suggested well-seated and well-fixed components. Radiographs also indicated the patella components were tracking well within the trochlear groove. No revision and re-operation were reported. Mean WOMAC total score was improved from 23.8±8.0 pre-op to 8.9±7.9 1-year post-op (p<0.01). Mean KOOS Jr. score was improved from 46.8±11.6 pre-op to 77.9±14.8 1-year post-op (p<0.01). Discussion and Conclusions. New tools may allow for enhanced execution and predictable balance for TKA, which may improve patient outcomes. In this study, preoperative planning via CT scan allowed surgeons to assess bony deformities and subtly adjust component position to reduce soft tissue trauma. While this study has several limitations, RATKA for varus knees should continue to be investigated. For any figures or tables, please contact authors directly

Introduction. Soft tissue releases are often required to correct deformity and achieve gap balance in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, the process of releasing soft tissues can be subjective and highly variable and is often perceived as an ‘art’ in TKA surgery. Releasing soft tissues also increases the risk of iatrogenic injury and may be detrimental to the mechanically sensitive afferent nerve fibers which participate in the regulation of knee joint stability. Measured resection TKA approaches typically rely on making bone cuts based off of generic alignment strategies and then releasing soft tissue afterwards to balance gaps. Conversely, gap-balancing techniques allow for pre-emptive adjustment of bone resections to achieve knee balance thereby potentially reducing the amount of ligament releases required. No study to our knowledge has compared the rates of soft tissue release in these two techniques, however. The objective of this study was, therefore, to compare the rates of soft tissue releases required to achieve a balanced knee in tibial-first gap-balancing versus femur-first measured-resection techniques in robotic assisted TKA, and to compare with release rates reported in the literature for conventional, measured resection TKA [1]. Methods. The number and type of soft tissue releases were documented and reviewed in 615 robotic-assisted gap-balancing and 76 robotic-assisted measured-resection TKAs as part of a multicenter study. In the robotic-assisted gap balancing group, a robotic tensioner was inserted into the knee after the tibial resection and the soft tissue envelope was characterized throughout flexion under computer-controlled tension (fig-1). Femoral bone resections were then planned using predictive ligament balance gap profiles throughout the range of motion (fig-2), and executed with a miniature robotic cutting-guide. Soft tissue releases were stratified as a function of the coronal deformity relative to the mechanical axis (varus knees: >1° varus; valgus knees: >1°). Rates of releases were compared between the two groups and to the literature data using the Fischer's exact test. Results. The overall rate of soft tissue release was significantly lower in the robotic gap-balancing group, with 31% of knees requiring one or more releases versus 50% (p=0.001) in the robotic measured resection group and 66% (p<0.001) for conventional measured resection (table-1) [1]. When comparing as a function of coronal deformity, the difference in release rates for robotic gap-balancing was significant when compared to the conventional TKA literature data (p<0.0001) for all deformity categories, but only for varus and valgus deformities for robotic measured resection with the numbers available (varus: 33% vs 50%, p=0.010; neutral 11% vs 50%, p=0.088, valgus 27% vs 53%, p=0.048). Discussion. Robotic-assisted tibial-first gap-balancing techniques allow surgeons to plan and adjust femoral resections to achieve a desired gap balance throughout motion, prior to making any femoral resections. Thus, gap balance can be achieved through adjustment of bone resections, which is accurate to 1mm/degree with robotics, rather than through manual releasing soft tissues which is subjective and less precise. These results demonstrated that the overall rate of soft tissue release is reduced when performing TKA with predictive gap-balancing and a robotic tensioning system. For any figures or tables, please contact authors directly

Aim. Adequate debridement of necrotic bone is of paramount importance for eradication of infection in chronic osteomyelitis. Currently, no tools are available to detect the exact amount of necrotic bone in order to optimize surgical resection. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility of an intraoperative illumination method (VELscope. ®. ) and the correlation between intraoperative and pathohistological findings in surgically treated chronic fracture related infection patients. Method. Ten consecutive patients with chronic fracture related infections of the lower extremity were included into this prospectively performed case series. All patients had to be treated surgically for fracture related infections requiring bony debridement. An intraoperative illumination method (VELscope®) was used to intraoperatively differentiate between viable and necrotic bone. Tissue samples from the identified viable and necrotic bone areas were histopathologically examined and compared to intraoperative findings. Results. In all included patients, the intraoperative illumination was deemed helpful to differentiate between necrotic and viable bone tissues during bony debridement. The histopathological examination of the samples showed good correlation of the intraoperative illumination findings with histopathological signs of necrosis for areas deemed dead and histopathological signs of intact bone for areas deemed vital during illumination. Conclusions. The fluorescence-assisted, intraoperative detection of necrotic and viable bone using the VELscope. ®. is an easy-to-use procedure that can help surgeons to optimize intraoperative bone resection in chronic fracture related infections by unmasking viable from necrotic bone tissue. This may help to improve resection techniques and eventually treatment outcome in patients in the future

Computer Assisted Surgery (CAS) and Patient Specific Instrumentation (PSI) have been reported to increase accuracy and predictability of tumour resections. The technically demanding joint-preserving surgery that retains the native joint with the better function may benefit from the new techniques. This cadaver study is to investigate the surgical accuracy of CAS and PSI in joint-preserving surgery of knee joint. CT scans of four cadavers were performed and imported into an engineering software (MIMICS, Materialise) for the 3D surgical planning of simulated, multiplanar joint-preserving resections for distal femur or proximal tibia metaphyseal bone sarcoma. The planned resections were transferred to the navigation system (OrthoMap 3D, Stryker) for navigation planning and used for the design and fabrication of the PSI. Each of the four techniques (freehand, CAS, PSI and CAS + PSI) was used in four joint-preserving resections. Location accuracy (the maximum deviation of distance between the planned and the achieved resections) and bone resection time were measured. The results were compared by using t-test (statistically significant if P< 0.05). Both the CAS+PSI and PSI techniques could reproduce the planned resections with a mean location accuracy of < 2 mm, compared to 3.6 mm for CAS assistance and 9.2 mm for the freehand technique. There was no statistical difference in location accuracy between the CAS+PSI and the PSI techniques (p=0.92) but a significant difference between the CAS technique and the CAS+PSI (p=0.042) or PSI technique (p=0.034) and the freehand technique with the other assisted techniques. The PSI technique took the lowest mean time of 4.78 ±0.97min for bone resections. This was significantly different from the CAS+PSI technique (mean 12.78 min; p < 0.001) and the CAS technique (mean 16.97 min; p = < 0.001). CAS and PSI assisted techniques help reproduce the planned multiplanar resections. The PSI technique could achieve the most accurate bone resections (within 2mm error) with the least time for bone resections. Combining CAS with PSI might not improve surgical accuracy and might increase bone resection time. However, PSI placement on the bone surface depends only on the subjective feeling of surgeons and may not apply if the extraosseous tumor component is large. Combining CAS with PSI could address the limitations

Background. Conventional instrumented total knee arthroplasty uses fixed angles for bony cuts followed by soft tissue releases to achieve balance. Robotic-assisted surgery allows for soft tissue balancing first then bony resection. The changes to the implant position from conventional instrumented surgery were measured and recorded. Methods. A single center, retrospective study reviewed consecutive total knee replacement surgeries over a 12 month period utilizing robotic pre-planning and balancing techniques. Changes to femoral and tibial varus/valgus and femoral rotation from traditional instrumented surgery positions were analyzed. Results. There were 145 knees which were grouped by preoperative deformity and the changes were frequent (94%), variable for any given deformity, and often unpredictable. Staged bilateral total knee arthroplasty patients also showed variability between knees. Conclusion. Robotic-assisted knee replacement technology not only has the advantage of navigation with regard to accurate implant positioning but also provides real-time, actionable data to better position the implant prior to bone resection and minimize soft tissue damage

Background. Intraoperative balancing of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can be accomplished by either more prevalent but less predictable soft tissue releases, implant realignment through adjustments of bone resection or a combination of both. Robotic TKA allows for quantifiable precision performing bone resections for implant realignment within acceptable final component and limb alignments. Objective. To provide a direct comparison of patient reported outcomes between implant realignment and traditional ligamentous release for soft tissue balancing in TKA. Methods. IRB approved retrospective single surgeon cohort study of prospectively collected operative and clinical data of consecutive patients that underwent TKA with a single radius design utilizing kinematic sensors to assess final balance with or without robotic assistance allowing for a minimum of 12 months clinical follow up. Operative reports were reviewed to characterize the balancing strategy. In surgical cases using robotic assistance, pre-operative plan changes that altered implant placement were included in the implant realignment group. Any patient that underwent both implant realignment and soft tissue releases was analyzed separately. Kinematic sensor data was utilized to quantify ultimate balance to assure that each cohort had equivalent balance. Patient reported outcome data consisting of Knee Society- Knee Scores (KS-KS), Knee Society- Function Scores (KS-FS), and Forgotten Joint Scores (FJS) were prospectively collected during clinical follow up. Results. 182 TKA were included in the study. 3-Month clinical follow up was available for 174/182 knees (91%), 1-Year clinical follow up was available for 167/182 knees (92%) and kinematic sensor data was available for 169/182 knees (93%). Kinetic sensor data showed that on average all of the balancing subgroups achieved clinically equivalent balance. Use of robotic-arm assistance provided the tools and confidence to decrease from ligament release only in 40.8% of non-robotic cases to 3.8% in the robotic group, and the use of component realignment alone increased from 23.7% in the non-robotic cases to 48.1% in the robotic TKA group. KS-KS, KS-FS and FJS scores showed improvements in outcomes at both the 3-month and 1-year time points in the implant realignment cohort compared to the ligamentous release cohort. KS-KS, KS-FS, and FJS at 1-year were 1.6, 7.6, and 17.2 points higher respectively. While none of the comparisons reached statistical significance, KS-FS at 1 year showed a statistically and clinically significant difference (MCID 6.1–6.4) increase of 7.7 points in the implant realignment cohort compared to the ligamentous cohort. The 1-year trend can be further explained by the outperformance (MCID increase of 6.4 points) of the implant realignment robotic cohort at 1-year compared to the non-robotic ligamentous cohort. Conclusions. Directly comparing TKA patients balanced with implant realignment alone versus ligamentous release alone versus combined technique, a trend toward clinical improvement above a minimally clinical significant difference in KS-FS scores benefiting the implant realignment technique was seen at both 3-months and 1-year post-operatively. We hypothesize that the benefit of implant realignment is achieved through decreased soft tissue trauma as well as potentially greater predictability and sustainability of soft tissue balance than with soft tissue releases alone

The iASSIST system is a portable, accelerometer base with electronic navigation used for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) which guides the surgeon to align and validate bone resection during the surgical procedure. The purpose of this study was to compare the radiological outcome between accelerometer base iASSIST system and the conventional system. Method. A prospective study between two group of 36 patients (50 TKA) of primary osteoarthritis of the knee who underwent TKA using iASSIST ™ or conventional method (25 TKA in each group) from January 2018 to December 2019. A single surgeon performs all operations with the same instrumentation and same surgical approach. Pre-operative and postoperative management protocol are same for both groups. All patients had standardized scanogram (full leg radiogram) performed post operatively to determine mechanical axis of lower limb, femoral and tibial component alignment. Result. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups for Age, Gender, Body mass index, Laterality and Preoperative mechanical axis(p>0.05). There was no difference in proportion of outliers for mechanical axis (p=0.91), Coronal femoral component alignment angle (p=0.08), Coronal tibial component alignment angle (p=1.0). The mean duration of surgery, postoperative drop in Hb, number of blood transfusion didn't show significant difference between 2 groups (p>0.05). Conclusion. Our study concludes that despite being a useful guidance tool during TKA, iASSIST does not show any difference in limb alignment (mechanical axis), Tibial and femoral component alignment when compared with the conventional method

Introduction. Patient specific instrumentation (PSI) generates customized guides from an MRI- or CT-based preoperative plan for use in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). PSI software executes the preoperative planning process. Several manufacturers have developed proprietary PSI software for preoperative planning. It is possible that each proprietary software has a unique preoperative planning process, which may lead to variation in preoperative plans among manufactures and thus variation in the overall PSI technology. The purpose of this study was to determine whether different PSI software generate similar preoperative plans when applied to a single implant system and given identical MR images. Methods. In this prospective comparative study, we evaluated PSI preoperative plans generated by Materialise software and Zimmer Patient Specific Instruments software for 37 consecutive knees. All plans utilized the Zimmer Persona™ CR implant system and were approved by a single experienced surgeon blinded to the other software-generated preoperative plan. For each knee, the MRI reconstructions for both software programs were evaluated to qualitatively determine differences in bony landmark identification. The software-generated preoperative plans were assessed to determine differences in preoperative alignment, component sizes, and resection depth. PSI planned bone resection was compared to actual bone resection to assess the accuracy of intraoperative execution. Results. Materialise and Zimmer PSI software displayed differences in identification of bony landmarks in the femur and tibia. Zimmer software determined preoperative alignment to be 0.5° more varus (p=0.008) compared to Materialise software. Discordance in femoral component size prediction occurred in 37.8% of cases (p<0.001) with 11 cases differing by one size and 3 cases differing by two sizes. Tibial component size prediction was 32.4% discordant (p<0.001) with 12 cases differing by 1 size. In cases in which both software planned identical femoral component sizes, Zimmer software planned significantly more bone resection compared to Materialise in the medial posterior femur (1.5 mm, p<0.001) and lateral posterior femur (1.4 mm, p<0.001). Discussion. The present study suggests that there is notable variation in the PSI preoperative planning process of generating a preoperative plan from MR images. We found clinically significant differences with regard to bony landmark identification, component size selection, and predicted bone resection in the posterior femur between preoperative plans generated by two PSI software programs using identical MR images and a single implant system. Surgeons should be prepared to intraoperatively deviate from PSI selected size by 1 size. They should be aware that the inherent magnitude of error for PSI bone resection with regard to both planning and execution is within 2–3 mm. Users of PSI should acknowledge the variation in the preoperative planning process when using PSI software from different manufacturers. Manufacturers should continue to improve three-dimensional MRI reconstruction, bony landmark identification, preoperative alignment assessment, component size selection, and algorithms for bone resection in order to improve PSI preoperative planning process

Introduction. Robot systems have been successfully introduced to improve the accuracy and reduce severe iatrogenic soft tissue damage in knee arthroplasty. Unfortunately to perform complete a complete bone cut, the cutting tool has to slightly pass the edge of the bone. In the posterior zones were retractor protection is impossible this will lead to contact between the cutting tool and the soft tissue envelope. Therefore, complete soft tissue preservation cannot be guaranteed with the current commercial systems. Methods. This study presents an alternative robotic controlled cutting technique to perform the bone resections during TKA by milling a slot with a long slender high-speed milling tool. The system is composed by a long milling tool driven by a high-speed motor and a protector covering the end of the cutter. The protector is rigidly connected to the motor by the support structure next to the mill, which moves behind the mill in the slot created by the cutter. The protector at the end of the cutter has four functions: providing mechanical support for the mill, preventing soft tissue to come into contact with the cutter, sensing the edge of the bone to accurately follow the shape of the bone and releasing the attached soft tissue. The edge of the bone is sensed by force feedback and with the help of a probing motion the adaptive algorithm enables the protector to follow the edge of the bone closely by compensating for small segmentation and registration errors. A pilot test to evaluate the concept was performed on three fresh frozen knees. The flatness of the resection, the iatrogenic soft tissue damage, the cutting time and the efficiency of the bone contour following algorithm was measured. Results. An Rq flatness of 0.10±0.03 mm and the Rt flatness of 0.52±0.08 was obtained. The MASTI score for soft tissue damage was 34.11±1.0 resulting in two A scores and one B score. The active contour following algorithm was capable of predicting the physical location of the bone three times more accurate compared to the initial surface based registration (1.51±0.31 mm to 0.44±0.29 mm). The cutting time was 106±7 s. Discussion. The mean flatness was about three times better compared to the oscillating saw and in line with other active robots using a mill. In contrast to other orthopaedic robotic systems with a rotating cutter, this technique enables performing each resection in TKA in one movement. Therefore the new approach was significantly faster compared to other active robotic systems using a mill. Because of the active shielding of the cutter, only very little superficial soft tissue was observed. Furthermore, the adaptive bone contour approach opens the possibility for imageless active robotic knee arthroplasty. Conclusion. The promising results of this pilot study demonstrate the potential of the novel soft tissue protecting cutter by combining the accuracy of a cylindrical mill with an active soft tissue protection while reducing the cutting time

Navigation-assisted surgery has been reported to enhance resection accuracy in bone sarcoma surgery. Patient-specific instruments (PSIs) have been proposed as a simpler alternative with fewer setup facilities. We investigated the use of 3D surgical planning and PSI in realising computer planning of complex resections in bone sarcoma patients with regards to surgical accuracy, problems, and early clinical results. We retrospectively studied twelve patients with bone sarcoma treated surgically by PSIs with 3D planning. The procedure was planned using engineering software. The resection accuracy was accessed by comparing CT images of tumour specimens with the planned in seven patients. Mean age was 30.9 (9 – 64). Mean follow-up was 3.1 year (0.5 – 5.3). 31 planes of bone resections were successfully performed using the technique and were considered accurate. The mean time required for placing PSIs was 5.7 minutes (1 – 10) and performing bone osteotomies with the assistance of PSIs was 4.7 minutes (2 – 7). The mean maximum deviation error was 1.7mm (0.5 – 4.4). One PSI was broken during bone resection, and one patient needed re-resection using the same PSI. One pelvic patient died of local recurrence and lung metastases six months postoperatively. One patient developed a soft tissue local recurrence and lung metastasis at 20 months after surgery. The mean MSTS functional score was 27.9 (21 – 30). There were no complications related to 3D planning and PSIs. In selected patients, 3D surgical planning and PSIs replicate complex bone resections and reconstructions in bone sarcoma surgery. Comparative studies with conventional or navigation- assisted resections are required

Introduction. Clinical outcomes for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are especially sensitive to lower extremity alignment and implant positioning. 1. The use of computer-assisted orthopaedic surgery (CAOS) can improve overall TKA accuracy. 2. This study assessed the accuracy of an image-free CAOS guidance system (Exactech GPS, Blue-Ortho, Grenoble, FR) in both a synthetic leg with a normal mechanical axis and legs with abnormal mechanical axis. Materials and methods. A high-resolution 3D scanner (Comet L3D, Steinbichler, Plymouth, MI) was used to scan varus-deformed (n=12), neutral (n=12), and valgus-deformed (n=4) knee inserts (Mita M-00566, M-00598, M-00567; respectively, Medical Models, Bristol, UK) and collect pre-identified anatomical landmarks prior to using the models to simulate knee surgery. The image-free CAOS guidance system was then used to acquire the same landmarks. After adjusting the position and orientation of the cutting block to match the targets, bone resections were performed, and the knee models were re-scanned. The 3D scans made before and after the cuts were overlaid and the resection parameters calculated using the pre-identified anatomical landmark data and advanced software (UG NX, Siemens PLM, Plano, TX). Data sets obtained from the 3D scanner (see Figure 1A) were compared with data sets from the guidance system (see Figure 1B). Given the accuracy of the 3D scanner (<50μm), its measurements were used as the baseline for assessing CAOS system error. Results. Table I shows errors in bone resection thickness orientation measurement errors as well as CAOS system confidence intervals (CI) for both the tibia and femur, depending on deformity type. Regardless of knee deformity and other parameters, the mean error of the CAOS system was systematically less than 0.5 mm for bone resection measurements and 1° for joint angle measurements. The 95% CI were in the range of −1.54 to 0.67mm for bone resection measurements and −0.64° to 1.67° for joint angle measurements. No statistical differences were detected between different deformity groups in the Error Indexes for both the tibia and femur. Discussion. This study represents an extension of a previous evaluation of the same CAOS system, where only a limited number of neutral models (n=6) were investigated. The current study was performed to reassess the accuracy and precision of the CAOS system using the same methodology with a larger number of knee models (n=28) exhibiting different types of deformities affecting the mechanical axis. In conclusion, this study demonstrates a high level of in-vitro accuracy for the CAOS system, regardless of leg-alignment deformity type. The mean error of the CAOS system, characterized as the difference between the measured and checked values, was systematically less than 0.5 mm for bone resection measurements and 1° for joint angle measurements