Role of total knee arthroplasty approaches in gait recovery through 6 months.

Four major approaches to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) exist: standard parapatellar, subvastus, midvastus, and mini-parapatellar. Research has shown that there may be some benefit to patients when minimally invasive approaches are employed. However, research has not shown whether the minimally invasive approaches are beneficial for restoring patients' gait when compared against those of healthy age-matched subjects. This study has compared the effect of the four surgical approaches using computer navigation on recovery of gait at 2, 4, and 6 months. Although some statistically significant differences exist among surgical approaches at specific points of the gait cycle, results demonstrate that no approach is superior to another in restoring patients' gait across the entire gait cycle. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.