Accuracy of Computed Tomography-Based Navigation-Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty: Outlier Analysis

Abstract

Background: Achieving neutral limb alignment during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has been identified as a potential factor in long-term prosthesis survival. This study aimed to analyze the accuracy of component orientation and postoperative alignment of the leg after computed tomography (CT)-based navigation-assisted TKA, compare these parameters with those of a conventional technique, and analyze differences in the data of outliers.

Methods: We retrospectively compared the alignment of 130 TKAs performed with a CT-based navigation system with that of 67 arthroplasties done with a conventional system. The knee joints were evaluated using radiographs.

Results: Mean hip-knee-ankle (HKA) angle, frontal femoral component angle, and frontal tibial component angle were 180.7°, 88.8°, and 90.6°, respectively, for the navigation-assisted arthroplasties and 181.1°, 88.7°, and 90.2°, respectively, for the conventional arthroplasties. All preoperative leg axes of 10 outliers in the navigation group were >193°, whereas the data of 17 outliers in the conventional group were scattered.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates significant improvements in component positioning with the CT-based navigation system. Furthermore, when analyzing cases with preoperative HKA angles ≤192°, no outliers were found in the navigation group, indicating high alignment accuracy. However, in cases with preoperative HKA angles ≥193°, outliers were found in both groups, and no significant difference between the groups was observed (P = .08). Detailed analysis of the outlier cases in the navigation group revealed that the femoral component was placed in the varus position. These findings indicate that the varus knee is an important factor influencing accurate positioning of the femoral component and the postoperative leg axis.

Keywords: CT-based navigation; accuracy; alignment; computer; outlier; total knee arthroplasty.