Robotic Knee Replacement Surgery
Robotic Knee Replacement Surgery
Overview
A robotic knee replacement is similar to a traditional knee replacement. Your surgeon removes damaged tissue in your knee and replaces it with an artificial joint. The difference is that it’s done with assistance from a robotic arm or handheld robotic device (depending on the robotic system used for your surgery).
Robotic-assisted procedures allow for greater precision and can lead to shorter recovery times and better results. In more complex cases, a robotic-assisted knee replacement offers a better balance in the soft tissues around your knee, and better aligns the joint.
If you’re having a robotic-assisted knee replacement surgery, you don’t have to prepare any differently than you would for a conventional surgery.
Types of Robotic Assisted Knee Replacements
Penn Orthopaedics has multiple cutting-edge robotic tools:
- The Navio Surgical System
- Mako Robotic-Assisted Knee Surgery
Each system helps your surgeon create an ideal surgical plan for you. This helps optimize every step of your surgery.
Your surgeon will discuss all options available to you. While the robotic tools are used to get the same result, they differ when planning and performing your knee replacement.
The Navio and Mako systems can be used in both partial knee replacement and total knee replacement surgeries. Your surgeon will discuss all options available to you, including whether you are a good candidate for robotic joint replacement.
Navio System
In conventional knee replacement surgery, plain X-rays, rods and cutting guides are placed on the bone surfaces to ensure proper alignment when planning your procedure.
During robotic-assisted knee replacements, the Navio system takes measurements of the knee, hip, and ankle. Then your leg is moved through a range of motion so the system can see how your leg and knee joint moves. Together, these measurements produce a 3-D image that’s specific to your knee. With that image, your surgeon can create a detailed surgical plan and select the optimal implant type and placement.
All this is done in the operating room, where the specialized handheld robotic cutting tool and digital 3-D model of your knee help your surgeon fine-tune your surgery. The Navio complements your surgeon’s expertise while evaluating cuts and guiding implant placement and joint alignment.
Mako Robot
The Mako system differs from Navio in two key ways:
- It uses specific scans of your knee before surgery to get precise measurements of your knee.
- It takes a slightly different approach to helping your surgeon follow your surgical plan.
Before a Mako knee replacement surgery, you’ll get specialized CAT scans that create a 3-D image of your knee joint, bone structure, and surrounding tissues. This detailed picture helps your surgeon plan every step of your surgery. Cuts can be made with precision to the millimeter, picking the right implant size and positioning.
At the beginning of a Mako surgery, your surgeon will use tracking pins to help the robot confirm that it received correct size and positioning information from your CAT scans. Then, the Mako arm positions itself and your surgeon uses the hand-held tool to perform your knee replacement. The tool will guide the surgeon throughout the procedure, enhancing their experience and skills.
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