Robotic-arm assisted TKA (Kayani)

Robotic-arm assisted total knee arthroplasty is associated with improved early functional recovery and reduced time to hospital discharge compared with conventional jig-based total knee arthroplasty: a prospective cohort study.

Kayani B, Konan S, Tahmassebi J, et al. The bone & joint journal 2018 · PMID 29954217 · doi:10.1302/0301-620x.100b7.bjj-2017-1449.r1

Question

Does robotic-arm assisted TKA improve early recovery compared with conventional jig-based TKA?

Design

Single-surgeon prospective cohort study from a UK centre comparing consecutive conventional and robotic cases.

Patients

Patients undergoing primary TKA for osteoarthritis.

Intervention

Robotic-arm assisted TKA

Comparison

Conventional jig-based TKA

Primary outcome

Early postoperative pain, analgesic use, range of motion and length of stay

Key result

Robotic TKA was associated with significantly less early postoperative pain and analgesia requirement, faster attainment of straight leg raise and range of motion, and shorter hospital stay.

Limitations

Non-randomised, single surgeon, includes learning-curve effects and reports only short-term outcomes without long-term function or survival.

Impact on practice

Widely cited early evidence for robotics, but randomised data and registry survivorship are still needed before robotics can be recommended as standard; cost-effectiveness is unproven in the NHS.