Minimally invasive total knee arthroplasty and navigation - A logical combination? [Minimal-invasive knieendoprothetik und navigation - Eine sinnvolle kombination?]

The minimally invasive approach has been recommended for total knee arthroplasty by many surgeons and by industry in recent years, and patients now also expect it. The definition of a minimally invasive procedure is still the subject of some controversy. Some authors limit the length of the skin incision to 14 cm, while others propose the"least possible and barely adequate" approach. The main problem of the minimally invasive technique is still the increased risk of component malalignment owing to reduced visibility. As computer-assisted surgery has been shown in many studies to yield better component alignment than is obtained with the conventional technique, it seemed logical to use navigation systems in combination with the minimal invasive approach. The aim of this paper is to highlight and discuss the use of computer assistance with a minimally invasive approach. © 2007 Springer Medizin Verlag.