Total knee replacement (TKR) smart tibial trials
have load-bearing sensors which will show quantitative compartment
pressure values and femoral-tibial tracking patterns. Without smart
trials, surgeons rely on feel and visual estimation of imbalance
to determine if the knee is optimally balanced. Corrective soft-tissue
releases are performed with minimal feedback as to what and how
much should be released. The smart tibial trials demonstrate graphically
where and how much imbalance is present, so that incremental releases
can be performed. The smart tibial trials now also incorporate accelerometers
which demonstrate the axial alignment. This now allows the surgeon
the option to perform a slight recut of the tibia or femur to provide
soft-tissue balance without performing soft-tissue releases. Using
a smart tibial trial to assist with soft-tissue releases or bone
re-cuts, improved patient outcomes have been demonstrated at one
year in a multicentre study of 135 patients (135 knees). Cite this article:
The aim of this prospective multicentre study
was to report the patient satisfaction after total knee replacement (TKR),
undertaken with the aid of intra-operative sensors, and to compare
these results with previous studies. A total of 135 patients undergoing
TKR were included in the study. The soft-tissue balance of each
TKR was quantified intra-operatively by the sensor, and 18 (13%)
were found to be unbalanced. A total of 113 patients (96.7%) in
the balanced group and 15 (82.1%) in the unbalanced group were satisfied
or very satisfied one year post-operatively (p = 0.043). A review of the literature identified no previous study with
a mean level of satisfaction that was greater than the reported
level of satisfaction of the balanced TKR group in this study. Ensuring
soft-tissue balance by using intra-operative sensors during TKR
may improve satisfaction. Cite this article:
