Minimally invasive total knee replacement: principles and technique

For more than a decade, the lead author has researched medial and lateral minimally invasive surgery (MIS) total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures and has joined collaborators in developing techniques that minimize the interruption and dissection of neurovascular tissues, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Resection of bone, blood loss, and patient pain have been minimized. Instrumentation and bone alignment and cutting procedures have been developed that are adaptable to the lateral or the medial MIS approach. These techniques couple the long-term, established success of conventional TKA with the benefits of a less invasive surgical approach. Before MIS can become an accepted surgical technique for TKA, a clear understanding of the unique guiding principles behind MIS TKA must be understood and practiced.