title: A new method for defining balance: promising short-term clinical outcomes of sensor-guided TKA.
abstract: Recently, technological advances have made it possible to quantify pounds of pressure across the bearing surface during TKA. This multicenter evaluation, using intraoperative sensors, was performed for two reasons: 1) to define "balance" 2) to determine if patients with balanced knees exhibit improved short-term clinical outcomes. Outcomes scores were compared between "balanced" and "unbalanced" patients. At 6-months, the balanced cohort scored 172.4 and 14.5 in KSS and WOMAC, respectively; the unbalanced cohort scored 145.3 and 23.8 in KSS and WOMAC (P < 0.001). Out of all confounding variables, balanced joints were the most significant contributing factor to improved postoperative outcomes (P < 0.001). Odds ratios demonstrate that balanced joints are 2.5, 1.3, and 1.8 times more likely to achieve meaningful improvement in KSS, WOMAC, and activity level, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Florida Orthopaedic Institute, Tampa, Florida.
authors.forename: Kenneth A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Gustke
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Golladay
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Research Institute Holy Cross Hospital Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
authors.forename: Martin W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Roche
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering and Clinical Research Orthosensor Inc., Dania, Florida.
authors.forename: Leah C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Elson
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering and Clinical Research Orthosensor Inc., Dania, Florida.
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D004582:Electronics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted
keywords: improvement KSS; improvement WOMAC; intraoperative sensors; short-term outcomes; soft-tissue balance; total knee arthroplasty