What is involved in Robotic assisted knee replacement?

Before surgery, the patient has a CT scan of their arthritic knee. A 3D virtual model of their knee joint, bone structure and surrounding tissues is developed. This model is loaded into the robotic computer system and helps the surgeon plan their knee replacement pre-operatively. They can determine the optimal size, placement and alignment of the patient’s implant.

During surgery, the surgeon inserts 2 navigation pins into the bone, on either side of the knee, usually through 2 small (1 cm) incisions. The pins are used to show the computer where the bones are. The patient’s knee anatomy is mapped with computer navigation (intraoperative mapping). Data is gathered and entered into the computer. With this data and the already loaded pre-op patient modelling, surgery can be performed with precision. The robotic system also allows the surgeon to adjust the surgical plan during the operation if needed.

The surgeon performs the operation using a robot to guide where they cut the bone and helps them stay within the planned boundaries as defined in the surgical plan. Once the arthritic bone and cartilage are removed from the knee, a knee implant is inserted into the knee joint.