Comparison of the efficacy and safety of MAKO robot-assisted total knee arthroplasty versus conventional manual total knee arthroplasty in uncomplicated unilateral total knee arthroplasty a single-centre retrospective analysis.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy and safety of MAKO robot-assisted total knee arthroplasty (MA-TKA) with conventional manual total knee arthroplasty (CM-TKA) in patients with end-stage knee osteoarthritis (KOA) during the early postoperative period.

Method: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 22 patients with KOA who underwent MA-TKA and 26 patients who underwent CM-TKA from April 2023 to July 2023. Hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA), lateral distal femoral angle (LDFA), medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), American Knee Society Score (AKSS), Forgotten Joint Score-12 (FJS-12), visual analogue scale (VAS), and postoperative complications were recorded and compared between the two groups.

Result: Both groups successfully completed the surgeries. In terms of radiographic parameters, postoperative one month LDFA and HKA in the MA-TKA group were significantly lower than those in the CM-TKA group (P < 0.05). At the one month follow-up, 19 patients (86.4%) in the MA-TKA group had an HKA less than 3°, compared to 20 patients (76.9%) in the CM-TKA group. Clinically, VAS scores at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h postoperatively were lower in the MA-TKA group both at rest and during activity. At one month and three months postoperatively, AKSS Function Scores and FJS-12 scores in the MA-TKA group were significantly higher than those in the CM-TKA group (P < 0.05). Regarding postoperative complications, no complications occurred in the MA-TKA group, while one patient in the CM-TKA group experienced postoperative knee stiffness, which resolved after physical therapy, with no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: Compared with conventional manual total knee arthroplasty, MAKO robot-assisted TKA demonstrates better short-term clinical efficacy, achieves better alignment planning, and maintains good safety.