UK studies find robotic joint replacement does not reduce repeat surgery

Two UK studies found that robotic-assisted hip and knee replacements did not reduce the overall early risk of repeat surgery compared with conventional surgery, Medical Xpress reported. The studies, published in The BMJ, analyzed National Joint Registry data from 2018 to 2024, according to MedPage Today.

In matched groups, 5-year implant survival was 98.8% for both conventional and robotic total hip replacement, 98.5% for conventional total knee replacement and 98.6% for robotic total knee replacement. For unicompartmental knee replacement, it was 97.8% for conventional surgery and 96.4% for robotic surgery. Medical Xpress reported no overall reduction in repeat surgery or mortality in the hip study, though robotic hip replacement was associated with a lower risk of surgery for implant malpositioning. Longer-term follow-up is needed to assess whether differences emerge over time.