A comparison of blood loss in minimally invasive surgery with and without electromagnetic computer navigation in total knee arthroplasty.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the blood loss after minimally invasive surgery total knee arthroplasty (MIS-TKA) between the procedures performed with and without electromagnetic computer navigation.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Eighty patients were recruited for a cohort study of the minimally invasive surgery total knee arthroplasty (MIS-TKA) for the treatment of osteoarthritis. They were divided into two groups, 40 patients had a computer-assisted surgery procedure for the minimally invasive surgery total knee arthroplasty (CAS-MIS-TKA) and the other 40 patients had a conventional procedure for the minimally invasive surgery total knee arthroplasty (MIS-TKA). The surgery in both groups was carried out by a single surgeon at one institution using a uniform approach. The blood loss in each group was evaluated and analyzed for the statistical difference.

RESULTS

The result showed that the mean blood loss from the drainage of the CAS-MIS-TKA group (389.88 +/- 215.57 milliliters) was slightly lower than the MIS-TKA group (425.25 +/- 269.40 milliliters), which had no significant difference (p-value 0.519). Moreover, the whole blood loss in the CAS-MIS-TKA group (948.45 +/- 431.63 milliliters) was slightly lower than the MIS-TKA group (1075.32 +/- 419.02 milliliters). The difference was also not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Electromagnetic computer-assisted surgery did not reduce blood loss in the minimally invasive surgery total knee arthroplasty (MIS-TKA).