Open AccessClinical outcome using a ligament referencing technique in CAS versus conventional technique
Author(s) -
Lehnen K.,
Giesinger K.,
Warschkow R.,
Porter M.,
Koch E.,
Kuster M. S.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.806
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1433-7347
pISSN - 0942-2056
DOI - 10.1007/s00167-010-1264-4
Subject(s) - medicine , womac , patient satisfaction , physical therapy , prospective cohort study , total knee arthroplasty , prosthesis , ligament , surgery , osteoarthritis , alternative medicine , pathology
Purpose Computer‐assisted surgery (CAS) for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has become increasingly common over the last decade. There are several reports including meta‐analyses that show improved alignment, but the clinical results do not differ. Most of these studies have used a bone referencing technique to size and position the prosthesis. The question arises whether CAS has a more pronounced effect on strict ligamentous referencing TKAs. Methods We performed a prospective cohort study comparing clinical outcome of navigated TKA (43 patients) with that of conventional TKA (122 patients). Patients were assessed preoperatively, and 2 and 12 months postoperatively by an independent study nurse using validated patient‐reported outcome tools as well as clinical examination. Results At 2 months, there was no difference between the two groups. However, after 12 months, CAS was associated with significantly less pain and stiffness, both at rest and during activities of daily living, as well as greater overall patient satisfaction. Conclusion The present study demonstrated that computer‐navigated TKA significantly improves patient outcome scores such as WOMAC score ( P = 0.002) and Knee Society score ( P = 0.040) 1 year after surgery in using a ligament referencing technique. Furthermore, 91% were extremely or very satisfied in the CAS TKA group versus 70% after conventional TKA ( P = 0.007).