Total knee arthroplasty performed with inertial navigation within the surgical field

Computer navigation systems were introduced over a decade ago to improve accuracy in total knee arthroplasty, since it has been clearly shown that alignment influences the ultimate outcome. A new inertial navigation system for total knee arthroplasty has been designed with simplicity in mind such that small electronic pods within the surgical field capture all orientation information. Pre-clinical testing and early clinical results have demonstrated the reproducible accuracy of the system. This new inertial navigation system proved easy to use, and the accuracy compared to optical navigation was reliable within 1°. This inertial navigation system could become a well-accepted method to optimize bone cuts during total knee arthroplasty.