TOP 5 MOVES: Dr. Daniel Berry’s Tips for Primary TKA

Every primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has a myriad of important technical elements that contribute to the success of the procedure.

For a presentation at ICJR’s 12th Annual Winter Hip & Knee Course on his top 5 tips and techniques for performing a primary TKA, Daniel J. Berry, MD, focused on those that could help the surgeon improve results and prevent complications. These include:

Exposing the knee adequately, an underappreciated part of TKA that is often the root of subtle technical errors
Achieving perfect bone cuts to prevent iterative mistakes in implant positioning, limb alignment, and balance
Using the pie crusting technique to balance the ligaments
Optimizing the tibial tray position to avoid medial or lateral tray translation
Avoiding flexion instability

PRO TIP: Pie crusting is a surprisingly powerful tool to iteratively lengthen tissue without overlengthening them. Comparatively, traditional releases are difficult to titrate: Under-releasing can result in recurrent deformity, while over-releasing can lead to instability of the knee.

Click on the image above to hear more from Dr. Berry.

Disclosures: Dr. Berry has disclosed that he receives royalties and research support from and is a paid consultant for DePuy Synthes.