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REVIEW ARTICLE

The current status and future perspectives of robot-assisted joint replacement: A review

Zeyu Liu1 ,  Sen Luo1 ,  Chunsheng Wang1 ,  Run Tian1 ,  Pei Yang1 ,  Kunzheng Wang1*
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1 Department of Joint and Foot-Ankle Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
OTE, 025300005 https://doi.org/10.36922/OTE025300005
Received: 24 July 2025 | Revised: 3 November 2025 | Accepted: 6 November 2025 | Published online: 28 November 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

The global trend of population aging and the high prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) have made joint replacement surgery a key treatment option for patients with end-stage OA. However, conventional procedures are limited by human error, resulting in suboptimal accuracy and reproducibility of prosthesis placement. The emergence of robot-assisted joint replacement (RAJR) offers a novel approach to enhancing surgical precision and improving clinical outcomes. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the development of robot-assisted joint arthroplasty, with a detailed examination of current applications and research progress in robot-assisted total hip, total knee, and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. Studies have demonstrated that robotic systems significantly improve the accuracy of prosthesis positioning, enhance radiographic alignment, and improve soft-tissue balance. Nevertheless, challenges remain, including prolonged operative time, increased costs, and steep learning curves. Current evidence is insufficient to establish clear advantages of robotic systems in terms of mid- to long-term functional outcomes and prosthesis survival. Looking ahead, with continued technological refinement, improved cost-effectiveness, and deeper integration of artificial intelligence, RAJR is expected to become more widely adopted, advancing the field toward greater precision, personalization, and intelligence.

Keywords
Robotic surgical procedures
Arthroplasty
Hip replacement
Knee replacement
Artificial intelligence
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
Kunzheng Wang is the Honorary Editor-in-Chief, Pei Yang is the Editor-in-Chief, and Run Tian is the Editorial Board Member of this journal, but were not in any way involved in the editorial and peer-review process conducted for this paper, directly or indirectly. Separately, other authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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