Are New Implant Designs Required for MIS

Several articles in this book discuss the benefits achieved through the use of minimally invasive approaches to hip and knee arthroplasty. These benefits are principally the decreased soft trauma to the skin and the muscles, the potential for earlier mobilization, decreased post-operative pain associated with smaller incisions and less intra- and post-operative blood loss. Although the smaller incisions are thought to be associated with decreased soft-tissue trauma, it is obvious that the maximal potential with regard to soft-tissue trauma could only be achieved through the modification of existing implants and instruments or the development of implants and instruments specific to MIS approaches.