Document Type

Article

Publication Date

July 2005

Comments

This article has been peer-reviewed. It was published in the Journal of Arthroplasty, 21(2): 284-288, February 2006 (Available from the publisher at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.arth.2005.07.013) Copyright is retained by Elsevier, Inc. This is the authors' final version prior to publication.

Abstract

Anatomic aberrations of the femur and tibia secondary to trauma, congenital defects, and prior surgery present challenges for the reconstructive knee surgeon because of an altered mechanical axis and distorted anatomic landmarks. Five patients with arthritis of the knee and extra-articular femoral and/or tibial deformity, retained hardware, or intramedullary (IM) implants underwent total knee arthroplasty using a computer navigation system. The navigation system obviated the need for an IM guide, and the normal mechanical axis of the patients was restored. Extensive dissection for hardware removal or osteotomy was not necessary in these patients. In these 5 cases, a navigation system proved to be an effective tool for restoration of limb alignment in the presence of significant extra-articular deformities and/or IM hardware. Thus, it provides an alternative approach to the traditional IM instrumentation for treating these patients in an effective manner.

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