A device for intraoperative use in balancing joint forces and verifying the placement of the tibial component in total knee arthroplasty includes a spacer defining an enclosure; the spacer is sized to engage a top portion of the tibial component. A sensor array is embedded in the spacer, the sensor array measures forces on the spacer. A wireless transceiver is embedded in the spacer and forwards the output to a processor. The processor is analyzes the output and creates a pressure distribution graph indicative of the forces on the spacer, thereby assisting a surgeon in performing selective soft tissue release or component positioning in connection with surgical implantation of an orthopedic knee prosthesis.