Abstract
A thorough knowledge of the anatomy and biomechanics of the knee joint is the key factor for performing surgical procedures successfully.
The following seven basic principles should be kept in mind:
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Think before you cut!
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Respect the patient`s anatomy – split layers in line with fibres.
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Do not make dissections in the subcutaneous layer; go down to the subfascial layers.
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The incision/approach should be as big as necessary and as small as possible.
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Minimally-invasive approach does not necessarily mean a small skin incision. The incision should provide the surgeon with a sufficient exposure of the knee and enable him to safely and correctly perform the surgery.
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Think about further surgeries – you may not be the last surgeon operating on this knee joint.
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Take care to preserve the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve and the blood supply of the patella.
The most commonly-used and well-established approaches to the knee joint are described in this chapter. The indications, advantages, disadvantages, risks and pitfalls of these different approaches are highlighted. A more detailed description of each approach is also given in the original articles, which are listed in the reference section.
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Hirschmann, M.T., Afifi, F.K., Friederich, N.F. (2014). Surgical Approaches to the Knee. In: Bentley, G. (eds) European Surgical Orthopaedics and Traumatology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-34746-7_123
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-34746-7_123
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