Assessment of Functional Outcome of Robotic-Assisted Knee Arthroplasty Versus Conventional Knee Arthroplasty

Abstract

Background: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the standard treatment for advanced knee osteoarthritis (OA). Robotic-assisted TKA (RA-TKA) has been introduced to improve implant positioning, alignment, and soft tissue balancing; however, its clinical benefits over conventional TKA (C-TKA) remain under evaluation. Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional analytical study included 60 patients with primary knee OA undergoing TKA at a tertiary care center. Thirty patients underwent RA-TKA and 30 underwent C-TKA. Functional outcomes were assessed using the Oxford Knee Score (OKS) preoperatively and at 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. Postoperative complications were also compared between the two groups. Statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05.  Results: Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were comparable between the groups. Preoperative OKS did not differ significantly (21.4 ± 4.8 vs. 22.1 ± 5.2; p = 0.59). However, the RA-TKA group demonstrated significantly higher OKS at 2 weeks (30.6 ± 5.1 vs. 26.9 ± 5.8; p = 0.01), 1 month (36.8 ± 4.9 vs. 30.7 ± 5.4), 3 months (42.3 ± 3.8 vs. 35.9 ± 4.6), and 6 months (45.1 ± 2.9 vs. 40.8 ± 3.7) (all p < 0.001). Arthrofibrosis, persistent postoperative pain, and surgical site infection were less frequent in the RA-TKA group, while no cases of deep vein thrombosis, implant loosening, or periprosthetic fracture were observed in either group. Conclusion: Robotic-assisted TKA demonstrated superior early functional recovery and fewer postoperative complications compared with conventional TKA. These findings suggest that RA-TKA is a safe and effective option for managing advanced knee osteoarthritis, although larger randomized studies with longer follow-up are required to confirm long-term benefits.

Keywords: Robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty; Conventional total knee arthroplasty; Knee osteoarthritis; Oxford Knee Score; Functional outcome.