Tips and Tricks in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Being a procedure that is more frequently used in orthopedic surgery and one of the most successful surgeries of the last century, total knee arthroplasty is still a challenge when it comes to matters such as anatomical reconstruction, mobility and stability of the lower limb. This paper reviews the main aspects of planning and surgical technique, by citing procedures that have proven their efficacy, returning very good results, not only on the short term, but also on the medium and long term. From a careful planning, even with personalized guides, to a swift postoperative recovery, total knee arthroplasty is being standardized, thus returning duplicable results and shortening the timespan of the surgical process. The use of tranexamic acid has led to a decrease in postoperative bleeding to 150–200 ml and to a decline in blood transfusion rates. Periarticular infiltrations with ropivacaine allow patients an immediate start for postoperative recovery, offering very good results in terms of mobility. Using state-of-the-art materials and methods with different surgical techniques and approaches, patients are offered a way through which normal life can be regained in a short period of time, with a complete recovery and a long survival that is close to 20 years.