Results of Total Knee Arthroplasty with Robotic Assistance
J.P.F. Guerreiro, J.C. Pinto, L. Schauff, T.D. Pedrollo, P.R. Bignardi, M.V. DanieliObjective:
To investigate the outcomes of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) when assisted by a robotic arm compared to the conventional approach.
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective cohort study including 96 patients who underwent TKA, assigned to either a robotic-assisted (RA) group or a conventional technique (CT) group. All surgeries were performed without the use of a tourniquet and included administration of intravenous tranexamic acid. Patients were matched based on sex, age, and preoperative hemoglobin and hematocrit values. Key outcomes evaluated were perioperative blood loss (assessed through changes in hemoglobin and hematocrit), operative duration, hospital length of stay, and postoperative complications up to six months post-surgery.
Results:
Thirty-four patients from each group were successfully matched for analysis. There were no significant differences between the groups regarding hemoglobin or hematocrit reduction (RA: Hb -2.27 ± 1.21 g/dL, Ht -6.56 ± 3.43%; CT: Hb -2.00 ± 1.07 g/dL, Ht -5.85 ± 3.26%; p > 0.05). The mean surgical time was also similar (RA: 108.9 ± 20.8 min; CT: 111.8 ± 26.2 min; p = 0.905). Notably, patients in the RA group experienced a shorter hospitalization period (median 2 vs. 2.5 days; OR = 0.12; 95% CI = 0.03–0.57; p = 0.008). Incidence of postoperative complications within six months did not differ significantly between groups.
Conclusion:
Robotic-arm assisted TKA was not associated with measurable improvements in blood loss, operative time, or postoperative complications, yet it contributed to a reduction in hospital stay compared to conventional TKA.