Robotic-Assisted Knee Replacement

What is Arthritis?

The knee is made up of the femur (thighbone), the tibia (shinbone) and patella (kneecap). The two menisci, the soft cartilage between the femur and tibia, serve as a cushion and helps absorb shock during motion. Arthritis (inflammation of the joints), injury or other diseases of the joint can damage this protective layer of cartilage, causing extreme pain and difficulty in performing daily activities. Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis.

What is Total Knee Replacement?

Total knee replacement, also called total knee arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure in which the worn out or damaged surfaces of the knee joint are removed and replaced with artificial implants.

What is Robotic-Assisted Knee Replacement?

Robotic-assisted knee replacement surgery is an alternative to the conventional knee replacement procedure. It is performed using robotic-arm technology that allows your surgeon to precisely perform the surgery through a smaller incision as compared to traditional surgery. The major advantage of robotic assisted knee replacement over conventional knee replacement is the ability of the surgeon to gain greater accuracy in performing knee replacement potentially lending to greater survivorship and long term success.

Indications of Robotic-Assisted Knee Replacement

Robotic-assisted knee replacement is simply another way to perform total and partial knee replacement and can be done on virtually any patient. It can be particularly helpful if the patient had previous surgery with hardware around the knee.

Robotic-Assisted Knee Replacement Procedure

The goal of total knee replacement surgery is to relieve pain and restore the alignment and function of your knee. Robotic-assisted knee replacement utilizes X-rays and CT scans to 3-dimensionally map the knees anatomy and more precisely shape the knee to accept the knee replacement implants. The increased precision of robotics can lead to a more natural feeling knee, faster recovery, and better long term survivorship. All the steps are performed with the help of the robotic arms.

With all the new components in place, the knee joint is tested through its range of motion. The entire joint is then irrigated and cleaned with a sterile solution. The incision is carefully closed; drains are inserted and a sterile dressing is placed over the incision.

Benefits of Robotic-Assisted Knee Replacement

The benefits of the robotic-assisted knee replacement include:

• Smaller incisions
• Rapid recovery
• Precise placement of the implant
• Reduced injury to adjacent tissues
• Increased longevity of the implant