Postoperative activity participation and functional recovery after robotic-assisted unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: a systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis.

This study aimed to systematically evaluate postoperative activity participation and functional recovery after robotic-assisted unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (RA-UKA). A systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to May 2026. Eligible studies included adults undergoing RA-UKA and reporting postoperative activity participation, return to sport, range of motion, or validated functional outcomes. Methodological quality was assessed using MINORS, RoB 2, and ROBINS-I according to study design. Pooled estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using Stata version 18.0. Twelve studies involving 486 RA-UKA cases were included. The pooled Forgotten Joint Score was 64.58 (95% CI 49.38, 79.77), and the pooled range of motion was 110.92° (95% CI 91.83, 130.02). The pooled estimate for return to sport after RA-UKA was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.87, 1.00). The pooled postoperative pain-related score at the last follow-up was 6.06 (95% CI 3.56, 8.57). The pooled proportion of patients reporting being "very satisfied" with return to recreational activities was 0.57 (95% CI 0.29, 0.86). Sensitivity analyses indicated that the main findings were generally stable. Single-arm evidence suggests that RA-UKA may be associated with encouraging postoperative recovery profiles, including acceptable joint awareness, functional knee motion, return-to-sport signals, and patient-reported outcomes. However, these findings are descriptive and hypothesis-generating rather than evidence of clinical superiority. Further prospective comparative studies with standardized activity outcomes are needed.