Five Reasons for getting a Robotic Knee Replacement

I am sure you must have heard the latest Buzz word in the field of Joint replacement called the “Robotics Knee Replacement”. There are many reasons for opting for a Robotic Knee Replacement and in this article, I would like to cover the top 5 reasons. It is a technology which is beneficial for both the patient and the operating Surgeon.

Let’s start first with What is a Robotic Knee Replacement. It is a novel technology in joint replacement and is fast gaining popularity amongst patients. It has significant benefits over traditional knee replacement, like improved efficiency in the operating room and reduced time taken for the surgery. Robotic joint replacement patients report better movements, and have a very natural feel of the joint.

Factors that affect the successful outcome of Total Knee Replacement are accurate alignment, soft tissue preservation and perfect ligament balancing. In a traditional Knee Replacement surgery a surgeon’s skill and expertise determine these factors, whereas in case of a Robotic Knee Replacement these factors are determined by a Robot aka Computer. If the joint is not aligned properly then it can lead to abnormal early wear, early mechanical loosening of the new implanted prosthesis and patelo-femoral problems. The accuracy and precision of a robot takes away all these uncertainties and results in better outcomes.

Let’s talk about the five reasons for getting a Robotic Total Knee Replacement:

1. Highly accurate- A functional joint replacement must be well aligned, which implies that it should be along the desired axis and in correct axial and rotational planes of the joint. “Robotic Technology” Provides precise surgery by customizing the joint replacement surgery to patient’s unique anatomy, which means the newly replaced joint will fit more precisely.
2. Highly Customizable- It allows surgeons the control to create a patient-specific plan in the operating room and the confidence to execute with robotic precision. It Provides 3D morphing and mapping of knee data on the robot and accurate robotic assisted knee replacement. This makes a Robotic Knee replacement highly customized to the requirements of the patient.
3. Faster recovery & less blood loss- use of Robot improves the efficiency in the operating room and reduces the time taken for the surgery and the blood loss. Since the overall tissue dissection required is less it improves the recovery and reduces blood loss.
4. Decreased postoperative pain and requirement of analgesics-
   The robots help create a precise image of the knee that relays patient-specific information to an advanced computer program. This program creates a 3-D model of the knee joint and makes it a customized surgery for each patient. This model is used to plan the perfect bone cut, implant positioning, limb alignment, and bone coverage based on the patient’s anatomy. The intraoperative robotic device helps to minimize iatrogenic soft tissue and bony injury and improves precision. Due to the above-mentioned factors the post operative pain and requirement of painkillers is also reduced.
5. The potential for better long-term function of joint- Due to precise nature of the Robotics Assisted Total Knee Replacement, the natural structure of the knee is kept intact, which in turn leads to a more natural feeling knee and the patient has faster recovery and better overall quality of life post-surgery

With the lightning-fast research and developments, robotics has already seen several updates in the last few years. Today, a surgeon does not have to use most of the traditional instruments that were usually required. I hope this information helped in improving the understanding of the term Robotics in Knee Replacement.

Please reach out to me if you need any further information on Robotics in Joint Replacement.