[Robotics for patellofemoral joint replacement-a step forward in arthroplasty?]

Background: At 0.2% of all knee replacements implanted in Germany, patellofemoral joint arthroplasty (PFA) account for only a small proportion. However, the potential in the population appears to be significantly greater. In recent years, several robotic-assisted surgical procedures have been developed to increase precision in the implantation of endoprostheses. MAKO® SYSTEM: At present, the Mako® system from Stryker is the only system that can implant an isolated patellofemoral joint replacement robotically. It can be used to analyze and adequately address complex anatomies such as trochlear dysplasia. The system provides support by simulating the positioning of the prosthesis and the exact execution of the plan by aligning the saw or reamer with haptic feedback.

Study situation: Studies on robotic-assisted PFA are rare but indicate improved precision with a robotic-assisted procedure. Despite that, an improved clinical and radiological outcome could not be demonstrated in a comparative study.

Outlook: A cost-benefit analysis should be discussed here, as should the necessary learning curve. In principle, robotic-assisted implantation of PFA appears to be a promising procedure. However, a superiority of this procedure over conventional methods cannot be postulated at the present time.