Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39821487›Full record

ArticleKnee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA2025

Functional alignment in robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty for valgus deformity achieves safe coronal alignment and excellent short-term outcomes.

Pietro Gregori, Christos Koutserimpas, Vasileios Giovanoulis, Cécile Batailler, Elvire Servien, Sébastien Lustig

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
32citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

32 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Article
  5. Functional alignment: Defined personalized alignment strategy with promising outcomes and room for improvement.Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2026
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Observational
  8. Personalized alignment in total knee arthroplasty reduces patellar tilt: A retrospective study.Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2026
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  19. Does patellar resurfacing matter in robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty with functional alignment principles?Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Pietro GregoriOrthopaedics Surgery and Sports Medicine Department, FIFA Medical Center of Excellence, Croix Rousse Hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon North University Hospital, Lyon, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0727-2231
Christos KoutserimpasOrthopaedics Surgery and Sports Medicine Department, FIFA Medical Center of Excellence, Croix Rousse Hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon North University Hospital, Lyon, France.
Vasileios GiovanoulisOrthopaedics Surgery and Sports Medicine Department, FIFA Medical Center of Excellence, Croix Rousse Hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon North University Hospital, Lyon, France.
Cécile BataillerOrthopaedics Surgery and Sports Medicine Department, FIFA Medical Center of Excellence, Croix Rousse Hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon North University Hospital, Lyon, France.
Elvire ServienOrthopaedics Surgery and Sports Medicine Department, FIFA Medical Center of Excellence, Croix Rousse Hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon North University Hospital, Lyon, France.
Sébastien LustigOrthopaedics Surgery and Sports Medicine Department, FIFA Medical Center of Excellence, Croix Rousse Hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon North University Hospital, Lyon, France.

Funding

None
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeFunctional alignment (FA) in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) prioritizes soft tissue balancing and anatomical restoration without systematic correction to neutral alignment. Most studies have focused on varus deformity, with little evidence available about FA in valgus deformity. The hypothesis of the present study was that FA in robotic-assisted TKA for valgus deformity would demonstrate correction of the coronal alignment and yield satisfactory short-term outcomes.

methodsThis retrospective study included 58 patients with valgus coronal alignment (hip-knee-angle [HKA] ≥ 183°) who underwent robotic-assisted TKA using the FA technique with a minimum of 1-year follow-up. Outcomes were assessed through the Knee Society Score (KSS), Oxford Knee Score (OKS), Forgotten Joint Score (FJS) and radiographic measurements of alignment and phenotypes. Complication and revision rates were also analyzed.

resultsThe cohort included 39 females and 19 males with a median age of 70. Post-operatively, 86.2% of cases achieved coronal alignment within the safe zone (HKA 177-183°). Significant improvements were observed in KSS (part 1: 69.5-95, part 2: 65-94, p < 0.001), while OKS and FJS exhibited optimal outcomes. Two complications were recorded: one aseptic loosening (1.7%) and one early infection (1.7%). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated favourable implant survivorship at a median follow-up of 18 months.

conclusionFA in image-based robotic TKA is a safe and effective approach for patients with valgus deformity. This procedure resulted in a modest correction of the coronal alignment, where no soft tissue releases were needed. The majority of the cases fell within the target coronal alignment boundaries by only accommodating the individual laxities, suggesting the aim of FA to restore each knee's pre-pathological alignment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Indexed as

Arthroplasty, Replacement, KneeBone MalalignmentKnee JointOsteoarthritis, KneeRobotic Surgical ProceduresAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTreatment Outcomefunctional alignmentknee phenotyperobotic knee replacementvalgus knee

Identifiers

PMID39821487
PMCPMC12104782

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.