Effectiveness of Periarticular Pin Tracker Placement Through a Single Main Incision in Robotic-Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty: Technical Note and Short-Term Results.

Background and

Objectives

Robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is gaining popularity worldwide, leading to a potential increase in the number of pin tracker-related complications. This study determined the effectiveness of periarticular pin tracker placement in the distal femur and proximal tibia through a single main incision during robotic-assisted TKA over a minimum follow-up period of 6 months. Materials and

Methods

A consecutive series of 149 TKAs was performed in 108 patients using the triathlon posterior-stabilized total knee prosthesis with a robotic-assisted system at our hospital from December 2023 to February 2024. Clinical outcomes and complications associated with pin tracker sites, including pin-site infection, neurovascular injury, hematoma, soft-tissue morbidity, and pin-site fracture, were assessed.

Results

The mean Knee Society knee score improved from 42.5 preoperatively to 76.3 points at the final follow-up, whereas the mean Knee Society function score improved from 43.1 preoperatively to 78.1 points at the final follow-up (both p < 0.05). No patient experienced any minor or major complications related to the use of pin trackers in the distal femur and proximal tibia.

Conclusions

This periarticular technique that uses pin trackers in the distal femur and proximal tibia through a single main incision could be a useful option for orthopedic surgeons while performing robotic-assisted TKA.