Soft Tissue Balance/Joint Stability: Medial-Lateral, Flexion-Extension Balance

Although total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is generally recognized as a good procedure in terms of pain relief and long-term outcomes, problems remain in terms of achieving good long-term outcomes and patient satisfaction. In the surgical technique, it is especially important to perform accurate osteotomies and component placement and to obtain an appropriate soft tissue balance. The accuracy of osteotomy and component placement has been improved by 3D preoperative planning, improvements in surgical instruments, and the spread of navigation/robotic systems. However, the evaluation and acquisition of soft tissue balance still often depend on the surgeon’s experience and skill. However, in recent years, reproducible quantitative evaluations and analyses have become widespread and are being performed, contributing to the examination and improvement of surgical procedures.