Primer on Minimally Invasive Subvastus Total Knee Arthroplasty

Minimally invasive total knee arthroplasty is an excellent alternative to a standard approach in knee arthroplasty. The technique can be learned at one's own pace and progress to a true muscle-sparing technique. A continuum of decreasing exposure and wound size, along with specialized instuments, facilitate the learning curve and ultimately allow the operation to succeed. Benefits include preservation of the extensor mechanism, a tighter soft tissue envelope with greater ease of ligament balancing, and faster recovery to independent ambulation. Implant positioning remains reliable and should not affect the ultimate longterm success of total knee arthroplasty. (C) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.