The successful implementation of the Navio robotic technology required 29 cases.

ABSTRACT

Robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty (RA-TKA) has potential benefits of improved restoration of mechanical alignment, accuracy of bony resection, and balancing. The purpose of this study was to determine the number of cases necessary for a single surgeon to achieve a constant, steady-state surgical time. The secondary purpose was to identify which steps demonstrated the most time reduced. This was a prospective study assessing intraoperative time for 60 RA-TKA with the Navio surgical system. Overall arthroplasty time and duration for each step were recorded. Statistical analysis included a nonlinear regression and survival regression. Successful implementation required 29 cases to achieve a steady-state. The average time decreased from 41.8 min for the first cohort to 31.1 min for the last cohort, a 26% decrease. The step with the greatest reduction was the "Review of Intraoperative Plan" with a reduction of 2.1 min. This study demonstrates surgical times averaging below 60 min and a learning curve that is complete in 29 cases with the surgeon reporting a high level of confidence with the system at 10 cases. Though Navio assisted TKA showed a significantly slower operative time, we are hopeful that future generations of robotic technology will be more efficiently implemented by surgeons.