title: The Use of Electronic Sensor Device to Augment Ligament Balancing Leads to a Lower Rate of Arthrofibrosis After Total Knee Arthroplasty.
abstract: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a highly successful surgery shown to improve quality of life. One of the more common known complications of TKA is early arthrofibrosis requiring manipulation under anesthesia (MUA). This investigation evaluates the incidence of arthrofibrosis before and after the implementation of an electronic sensor device used to assist with ligament balancing.
  
  
  
  Six hundred ninety TKAs performed without sensor use were compared to a cohort of 252 TKAs performed with sensor usage.
  
  
  
  Prior to usage, there was a 5% rate of MUA after TKA, while after implementation, the MUA rate went down to 1.6% (P = .004). Ligament balancing using sensor assistance led to a statistically significant decrease in MUA in this cohort of patients. An odds ratio analysis also demonstrated that non-sensor patients had a 3.2× higher likelihood of requiring MUA than the sensor patients.
  
  
  
  The use of an electronic sensor device during trialing of TKA with resultant improved ligamentous balancing led to a statistically significant reduction in the rate of MUA in this cohort of patients. This type of approach to ligamentous balancing may continue to show evidence of improved clinical outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Geller
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Akshay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lakra
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Taylor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murtaugh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000758:Anesthesia; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004581:Electronics; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008022:Ligaments / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008349:Manipulation, Orthopedic / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011788:Quality of Life; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted
keywords: arthrofibrosis; ligament balancing; manipulation under anesthesia; sensor technology; total knee arthroplasty