Bernhard Christen

About

Bernhard Christen is a leading orthopedic researcher whose work is transforming the landscape of knee arthroplasty through the integration of robotic assistance and advanced alignment philosophies. His primary research focuses on comparing the cost-effectiveness and clinical outcomes of computer-assisted technologies—including navigation and robotic systems—against conventional instrumentation in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). Christen’s major contributions include demonstrating that true kinematic alignment is applicable in only 44% of TKA patients under restrictive criteria, a finding that refines patient selection for personalized surgery. He has also shown that different intraoperative joint laxity patterns do not compromise clinical outcomes in robotic-assisted medial UKA, and that fixed flexion contractures can be successfully addressed with minimal tibial resection. With his most-cited paper, “Comparative Cost Analysis of Four Different Computer-Assisted Technologies to Implant a Total Knee Arthroplasty over Conventional Instrumentation,” accumulating 42 citations, Christen’s work is highly influential. His recent 2025 study on early rehabilitation further underscores his impact, revealing that patients undergoing robotic-assisted medial UKA regain preoperative activity levels two weeks earlier than those receiving kinematically aligned TKA. Christen’s research is pivotal for surgeons seeking evidence-based, patient-specific approaches to knee replacement.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Comparative Cost Analysis of Four Different Computer-Assisted Technologies to Implant a Total Knee Arthroplasty over Conventional Instrumentation

   42 citations · 2022
2. 2
   True Kinematic Alignment Is Applicable in 44% of Patients Applying Restrictive Indication Criteria—A Retrospective Analysis of 111 TKA Using Robotic Assistance

   17 citations · 2021
3. 3
   Different intraoperative joint laxity patterns do not impact clinical outcomes in robotic‐assisted medial unicompartmental knee replacement with 1‐to‐1 surface reconstruction

   11 citations · 2024
4. 4
   Setting the Tibial Component Rotation Based on Femoral Landmarks Allows Congruent Knee Kinematics in Robotic-Assisted Medial Unicompartmental Knee Replacement

   9 citations · 2023
5. 5
   Fixed Flexion Contracture Can Successfully Be Addressed with Exact Preservation of the Femoral Joint Line and Only Minimal Increase of Tibia Resection in the Concept of Kinematically Aligned Total Knee Arthroplasty

   7 citations · 2023
6. 6
   Patients with Robotic Arm-Assisted Medial Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty (mUKA) Regain Their Preoperative Activity Level Two Weeks Earlier Compared to Robotic Arm-Assisted Kinematically Aligned Total Knee Arthroplasty (rKA-TKA)

   1 citations · 2025

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links