INTRODUCTION

In total knee arthroplasty (TKA), the effectiveness of the mechanical alignment (MA) within 0°±3° has been recently questioned. A novel implantation approach, i.e. the kinematic alignment (KA), emerged recently, this being based on the pre-arthritic lower-limb alignment. In KA, the trans-cylindrical axis is used as the reference, instead of the trans-epicondylar one, for femoral component alignment. This axis is defined as the line passing through the centres of the posterior femoral condyles modeled as cylinders. Recently, patient specific instrumentation (PSI) has been introduced in TKA as an alternative to conventional instrumentation. This provides a tool for preoperative implant planning also via KA. Particularly, KA using PSI seems to be more effective in restoring normal joint kinematics and muscle activity.

The purpose of this study was to report preliminarily joint kinematic and electromyography results of two patient groups operated via conventional MA or KA, the latter using PSI.

INTRODUCTION

In computer-aided total knee arthroplasty (TKA), surgical navigation systems (SNS) allow accurate tibio-femoral joint (TFJ) prosthesis implantation only. Unfortunately, TKA alters also normal patello-femoral joint (PFJ) functioning. Particularly, without patellar resurfacing, PFJ kinematics is influenced by TFJ implantation; with resurfacing, this is further affected by patellar implantation. Patellar resurfacing is performed only by visual inspections and a simple calliper, i.e. without computer assistance.

Patellar resurfacing and motion via patient-specific bone morphology had been assessed successfully in-vitro and in-vivo in pilot studies aimed at including these evaluations in traditional navigated TKA.

The aim of this study was to report the current experiences in-vivo in two patient cohorts during TKA with patellar resurfacing.

INTRODUCTION

In Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA), the neutral overall limb alignment (NOLA), i.e. the mechanical alignment of the lower limb within 0°±3°, is targeted for achieving good clinical/functional results. The kinematic overall limb alignment (KOLA), which uses the axis through the centres of the femur posterior condyles modelled as cylinders, represents a novel approach for achieving better soft tissue balance.

Patient-specific instrumentation (PSI) is nowadays offered as an effective technology in TKA to obtain better lower limb alignments than those via conventional guides (CON). Although relevant results are still inconsistent, the benefits claimed include shorter operative time, reduced surgical instrumentation, and accurate preoperative planning.

The aim of this study was to report the preliminary clinical and radiological results of TKA patients operated via NOLA-PSI and KOLA-PSI. Comparisons between them and with the results obtained via NOLA-CON were performed.

INTRODUCTION

Despite a large percentage of total knee arthroplasty failures occurs for disorders at the patello-femoral joint (PFJ), current navigation systems report tibio-femoral (TFJ) kinematics only, and do not track the patella. Despite this tracking is made difficult by the small bone and by its full eversion during surgery, a new such technique has been developed, which includes a new tracker, new corresponding surgical instrumentation also for patellar resurfacing, and all relevant software. The aim of this study is to report an early experience in patients of these measurements, i.e. TFJ and PFJ kinematics.

Restoration of natural range and pattern of motion is the primary goal of joint replacement. In total ankle replacement, proper implant positioning is a major requirement to achieve good clinical results and to prevent instability, aseptic loosening, meniscal bearing premature wear and dislocation at the replaced ankle. The current operative techniques support limitedly the surgeon in achieving a best possible prosthetic component alignment and in assessing proper restoration of ligament natural tensioning, which could be well aided by computer-assisted surgical systems. Therefore the outcome of this replacement is, at present, mainly associated to surgeon's experience and visual inspection. In some of the current ankle prosthetic designs, tibial component positioning along the anterior/posterior (A/P) and medio/lateral axes is critical, particularly in those designs not with a flat articulation between the tibial and the meniscal or talar components. The general aim of this study was assessing in-vitro the effects of the A/P malpositioning of the tibial component on three-dimensional kinematics of the replaced joint and on tensioning of the calcaneofibular (CaFiL) and tibiocalcaneal (TiCaL) ligaments, during passive flexion. Particularly, the specific objective is to compare the intact ankle kinematics with that measured after prosthesis component implantation over a series of different positions of the tibial component.

Four fresh-frozen specimens from amputation were analysed before and after implantation of an original convex-tibia fully-congruent three-component design of ankle replacement (Box Ankle, Finsbury Orthopaedics, UK). Each specimen included the intact tibia, fibula and ankle joint complex, completed with entire joint capsule, ligaments, muscular structures and skin. The subtalar joint was fixed with a pin protruding from the calcaneus for isolating tibiotalar joint motion. A rig was used to move the ankle joint complex along its full range of flexion while applying minimum load, i.e. passive motion. In these conditions, motion at the ankle was constrained only by the articular surfaces and the ligaments. A stereofotogrammetric system for surgical navigation (Stryker-Leibinger, Freiburg, Germany) was used to track the movement of the talus/calcaneus and tibial segments, by using trackers instrumented with five active markers. Anatomical based kinematics was obtained after digitization by an instrumented pointer of a number of anatomical landmarks and by a standard joint convention. The central point of the attachment areas of CaFiL e TiCaL was also digitised. Passive motion and ankle joint neutral position were acquired, and the standard operative technique was performed to prepare the bones for prosthesis component implantation. The final component for the talus was implanted, the tibial component was initially positioned well in front of the nominal right (NR) position, the meniscal bearing was instrumented with an additional special tracker, and passive motion was collected again in passive flexion. Data collection was repeated for progressively more posterior locations for the tibial component, for a total of six different locations along the tibial A/P axis: three anterior (PA), the NR, and two more posterior (PP), approximately 3 to 5 mm far apart each. The following three-dimensional kinematics variables were analyzed: the three anatomical components of the ankle joint (talus-to-tibial) rotation (dorsi/plantar flexion, prono/supination and internal/external rotation respectively in the sagittal, frontal and transverse planes), the meniscal bearing pose with respect to the talar and tibial components, the ‘ligament effective length fraction’ as the ratio between the instantaneous distance between the ligament attachment points and the corresponding maximum distance, and the instantaneous and mean helical axes in the tibial anatomical reference frame.

In all specimens and in all conditions, physiological ranges of flexion, prono/supination and internal/external rotation were observed at the ankle joint. A good restoration of motion was observed at the replaced joint, demonstrated also by the coupling between axial rotation and flexion and the physiological location of the mean helical axis, in all specimens and in most of the component positions. Larger plantar- and smaller dorsi-flexion were observed when the tibial component was positioned more anteriorly than NR, and the opposite occurred for more posterior positions. In regards to the meniscal bearing, rotations were small and followed approximately the same patterns of the ankle rotations, accounted for the full conformity of the articulating surfaces. Translations in A/P were larger than in other directions, the bearing moving backward in plantarflexion and forward in dorsiflexion with respect to both components. It was observed that the closer to NR the position of the tibial component is, the larger this A/P motion is, accounted mainly to the associated larger range of flexion. The change of CaFiL and TiCaL effective length fraction over the flexion arc was found smaller than 0.1 in three specimens, smaller than 0.2 in the fourth, larger both in more anterior and more posterior locations of the tibial component. The simulated malpositioning did not affect much position and orientation of the mean helical axis in both the transversal and frontal planes.

The experimental protocol and measurements were appropriate to achieve the proposed goals. All kinematics variables support the conclusion that the ankle replaced with this original prosthesis behaves as predicted by the relevant computer models, i.e. physiological joint motion and ligament tension is experienced resulting in a considerable A/P motion of the meniscal bearing. These observations are particularly true in the NR postion for the prosthesis, but are somehow correct also in most of the tibial malpositions analysed, in particular those on the back.

Computer-assisted techniques in total knee replacement (TKR) have been introduced to improve bone cuts execution and relevant prosthesis components positioning. Although these have resulted in good surgical outcomes when compared to the conventional TKR technique, the surgical time increase and the use of additional invasive devices remain still critical. In order to cope with these issues, a new technology in TKR has been introduced also for positioning prosthetic components according to the natural lower-limb alignment. This technique is based on custom-fit cutting block derived from patient-specific lower-limb scan acquisition. The purpose of this study is to assess the accuracy of the custom-fit technology by means of a knee surgical navigation system, here used only as measurement system, and post-operative radiographic evaluations. Particularly, the performances of two different custom-fit cutting blocks realized from as many scan acquisitions have been here reported.

Thirty patients affected by primary knee osteoarthritis were enrolled in this study. Fifteen patients were implanted with GMK® (Medacta-International, Castel San Pietro, CH) and as many patients with Journey® (Smith&Nephew, London, UK). Both TKR designs were implanted by using custom-fit blocks for bone cut executions provided by the same TKR manufacturers according to a pre-operative web planning approved by the surgeon. Particularly, the cutting block for the former design was built from CT scan acquisition of the hip, knee and ankle, whereas that for the latter design from MRI scans acquisition of the knee and X-ray lower-limb overview. A knee surgical navigation system (Stryker®-Leibinger, Freiburg, Germany) was used for recording intra-operative alignment of bone cuts as performed by means of the custom-fit cutting blocks and relevant component positioning. Prosthetic components alignments were also assessed post-operatively on X-ray images according to a shape-matching technique. The accuracy of the custom-fit blocks was evaluated through the comparison between pre-operative planning, and intra/post-operative data. Discrepancies above 3° and millimeters were considered as outliers.

Within the patient cohort, nine cases were fully analyzed at the moment and here reported. Over them and except for one case, the discrepancy between pre-operative planned femoral/tibial resection level on the frontal plane and the corresponding measured intra-operatively was within 3 mm, being 5 mm in the worse case. Two outliers were observed for the corresponding femoral/tibial cut rotational alignment. Particularly, in one patient, the discrepancy in femoral cut alignment was of 8° in flexion and 6° in external rotation; in another patient this was of 4° in extension and 4° in external rotation in the femoral and tibial cut alignment, respectively. Post-operative radiographs evaluations for the final prosthetic components revealed that femoral/tibial alignment were within 3° in all cases, except for those patients that were already outliers.

These preliminary results reveal the efficacy of the custom-fit cutting block for TKR. These were generally fitted properly and final prosthetic components were accurately placed, although some discrepancies were observed. This new technology seems to be a valid alternative to conventional and computer-assisted techniques. More consistent conclusions can be deduced after final evaluation of all patients.