Robotic-Assisted Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty: State-of-the Art and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Background: Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty is a successful treatment for unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis that has lower complication rates, faster recovery, and a more natural feeling knee compared to total knee arthroplasty. However, long-term survival has been a persistent concern. As more surgeon-controlled variables have been linked to survival, interest in robotic-assisted surgery has continued to grow.

Methods: A review and synthesis of the literature on the subject of robotic-assisted unicompartmental knee arthroplasty was performed.

Results: We present the driving factors behind the development of robotic-assisted techniques in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty and the current state-of-the art. The ability of surgeons to achieve intraoperative targets with robotic assistance and the outcomes of robotic-assisted surgery are also described.

Conclusion: Robotic-assisted surgery has become increasingly popular in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, as it allows surgeons to more accurately and reproducibly plan and achieve operative targets during surgery. Cost remains a concern, and it remains to be seen whether robotic-assisted surgery will improve long-term survivorship after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.

Keywords: arthroplasty; knee; robotic surgery; unicompartmental; unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.