Use of Fulcrum Positioning as a Balancing Tool During Total Knee Arthroplasty on a Robotic Platform

Abstract

Total knee arthroplasty is a common procedure performed to improve pain and dysfunction attributed to arthritis, yet postoperative patient dissatisfaction rates remain relatively high. Patient satisfaction and outcomes have been linked to successful joint gap balancing in the coronal and sagittal planes intraoperatively. In previously described balancing techniques, the fulcrum used for alignment changes is customarily centered on the intramedullary axis generating symmetric changes in medial and lateral gaps. We propose a novel technique in the literature that, with the use of robotic-arm assisted technology or similar systems, allows manipulation of the fulcrum center of rotation during pre-resection planning and intraoperative gap establishment before bony cuts to asymmetrically influence medial and lateral, flexion and extension gaps to aid in balancing during total knee arthroplasty.

Keywords

• Total knee arthroplasty
• Soft tissue balancing
• Robotic-arm
• Fulcrum
• Flexion gap
• Gap balancing