Patello-femoral Tracking Optimization in Robotic-Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND

Robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty (RA-TKA) allows for intraoperative component positioning to personalize alignment and gaps. However, traditional trochlear designs not optimized for patellar tracking in kinematic alignment result in femoral internal rotation (IR) relative to the surgical transepicondylar axis. We sought to determine the femoral component alignment's effect on patellar tracking in RA-TKA.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 932 RA-TKA cases performed from January 2023 to August 2024 using a computed tomography-based robotic platform with a single radius femoral component with a 6° trochlear sulcus angle. Femoral rotation was defined as IR and external rotation (ER) relative to transepicondylar axis. Femoral coronal alignment was defined as varus (Var) or valgus (Val) relative to the mechanical axis. Patient-reported outcomes were collected at six weeks, three months, and one year postoperatively. Outcomes were analyzed using 1-way analyses of variance and Chi-square tests.

RESULTS

There were 445 (48%) Var-ER, 242 (26%) Val-ER, 105 (11%) Var-IR, and 141 (15%) Val-IR cases. Mean femoral component rotation (° external) was Var-ER: 2.8° (range, 0.2 to 6.5); Val-ER: 2.4° (range, 0.1 to 5.0); Var-IR: -0.6° (range, -3.4 to 0); and Val-IR: -1.0° (range, -4.2 to 0). There were three patella-related complications, two of which had further reoperations, all of which occurred in the Val-IR cohort (P < 0.001). Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Replacement at six weeks was lowest in the Var-ER cohort (52.3, P < 0.039). Planned femoral IR had no statistically significant impact on 3-month and 1-year Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Replacement scores; there were no differences in Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System scores at postoperative intervals studied.

CONCLUSIONS

Planned femoral IR was not associated with statistically significant differences in patient-reported outcomes beyond six weeks postoperatively. However, all patella-related complications occurred in the Val-IR cohort. We caution surgeons against placing excessive combined Val and IR with femoral implants designed with narrower trochlear sulcus angles.