Minimally invasive surgery-total knee arthroplasty.

Minimally invasive surgery-total knee arthroplasty (MIS-TKA) requires a skin incision of < or =5 inches (measured with the knee in full extension). A mini midvastus approach limits surgical dissection and resultant soft tissue trauma. The patella is subluxated laterally but not everted . MIS-TKA is technically challenging and instrument dependent. The design of cutting guides, sizers, and retractors must continue to evolve. Prospective, randomized controlled trials are required to test the hypothesis that MIS-TKA results in decreased patient morbidity and outcome equal to or better than traditional TKA. The purpose of this article is to describe the MIS-TKA technique.