A meta-analysis of minimally invasive and conventional medial parapatella approaches for primary total knee arthroplasty

This report has been verified by one or more authors of the original publication.

Thirty studies with a total of 2,477 patients were included in this study to compare results between minimally invasive surgical (MIS) approaches and the conventional medial parapatellar approach for total knee arthroplasty. Intraoperative details demonstrated significant longer operative and tourniquet times with minimally invasive procedures, though MIS was associated with significantly shorter incision lengths. Analyses of intraoperative, postoperative, and estimated blood loss were non-significant, though comparison of postoperative hemoglobin drop indicated a significantly smaller drop within the MIS cohort. Postoperative outcome scores, such as the Knee Society Score, pain, range of flexion, and measures of functional recovery, were significant in favor of MIS compared to conventional surgery. No significant differences were observed in prosthetic alignment or complications, with the exception of delayed wound healing, which occurred more frequently following MIS versus conventional TKA.