Patella resection has been the least controlled element of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We have developed an intraoperative guide system involving a custom-made surgical template designed on the basis of a three-dimensional computer simulation incorporating computed tomography (CT) data for several years. This time we have applied this intraoperative guide system for the patella resection in TKA. We investigated the accuracy of CT-based patient-specific templating (PST) for patella resection using cadaveric knee joints in vitro.

To plan the corrective patella resection, we attempted to simulate a three-dimensional patella resection with the use of computer models of the patella. From CT images of the patella we obtained three-dimensional surface models of the patella by performing a three-dimensional surface generation of the bone cortex. After the patella resection using CT-based custom-made surgical templating instrumentation, CT scan was performed again and we compared the patella shape in three-dimensional patella bone model reconstructed from pre and after cut from CT data. We compared the accuracy of patella cut using three-dimensional patella bone model reconstructed from pre and after cut from CT data. Statistical analysis was performed using paired t test.

The difference between patella cut with CT-based custom-made surgical templating instrumentation and pre-operative planning were 0.8±1.2mm (medial side) and 0.1±1.4mm (lateral side). More than 60% resulted within 2mm from the pre-operative planning. There were significant differences both in flexion/extension, external/internal rotation and bone cut depth between CT-based custom-made surgical templating instrumentation and conventional instrument.

The results in this study demonstrated the usefulness of CT-based custom-made surgical templating instrumentation for patella resection in TKA.