Augmented Reality in Total Knee Replacement (TKR): A Narrative Review

Total knee replacement (TKR) is a surgical procedure to alleviate pain and restore function in patients with severe knee arthritis or other debilitating knee conditions.The success of TKR is influenced by various factors, such as component position, alignment, implant size, soft tissue balance, and the surgeon's technique, expertise, and experience.Computer-aided techniques like navigation and robotics have been increasingly adopted to enhance precision.Augmented reality (AR), which integrates real-world information with virtual data, is emerging to enhance surgeons' capabilities by providing augmented medical information, leveraging deep learning and artificial intelligence.Augmented reality is believed to increase precision and improve patient outcomes.The article discusses AR technology's potential benefits, applications, and challenges in TKR.While AR shows promise and could revolutionize orthopedic surgery by improving the understanding of 3D anatomical relationships and precise implant positioning, it is still not widely used.Future advancements are necessary to address existing challenges, and well-designed randomized trials with standardized outcomes are needed to compare AR technology with current navigational systems in knee replacements.