Machining and accuracy studies for a tibial knee implant using a force-controlled robot

Total knee arthroplasty requires accurate preparation of the bone surfaces to maximize bone implant contact area in cementless surgery and to obtain proper joint kinematics and ligament balancing. Robots can make the cuts with the necessary high precision. The purpose of this article is threefold: to propose an alternative method for intraoperative registration using an intramedullary rod and an alternative method for force control using the hybrid force-velocity control scheme; to demonstrate that the accuracy and the surface flatness of the cuts machined by a robot are better than in a conventional operation; and to monitor the machining process and to try to derive some information about the local bone quality from it. The results of the laboratory study are promising: the surface flatness of the tibial plateau, calculated using a least squares method, is 0.1-0.2 mm, which is significantly better than in conventional surgery; and the high angular accuracy of the robot allows the bone cuts to be located precisely. Further, an exponential relation between milling forces and local bone density was established, so measurements of the milling forces can provide the surgeon with on-line information about the local bone quality.