Robotic-Assisted Versus Conventional Total Knee Arthroplasty

At the 86th Annual Congress of Swiss Orthopaedics in Basel, a team from Clinique de Valère presented a comparative study evaluating early clinical and surgical outcomes after robotic-assisted versus conventional total knee arthroplasty. The work focused on postoperative flexion contracture, range of motion, operative time and analgesic consumption.

This retrospective single-centre study included 60 patients treated between October 2024 and December 2025, with 30 patients undergoing conventional surgery and 30 receiving robotic-assisted surgery using the ROSA® Knee System. Both groups received the same Persona® MC implant and were managed according to a standardized Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocol.

Robotic-assisted arthroplasty was associated with significantly better correction of flexion contracture at six weeks, with a median value of 0° compared with 7.5° in the conventional group. At three months, patients in the robotic group also achieved greater knee flexion—130° versus 120°—although the difference in residual flexion contracture was no longer statistically significant. Operative time was longer with robotic assistance, averaging 98.1 minutes compared with 79.8 minutes.

These findings suggest that ROSA®-assisted surgery may improve early soft-tissue balancing and accelerate initial functional recovery. However, the retrospective design, limited sample size, short follow-up and potential learning-curve effect underline the need for larger prospective studies to confirm these results.