Computer-Assisted Knee Surgery
Computer-assisted knee replacement surgery enables surgeons to operate with smaller incisions and greater precision.
Computer-assisted surgery helps surgeons align the patient's bones and knee replacement implants with a degree of accuracy not possible with the naked eye. For the first time, doctors have detailed information allowing them to balance the ligaments and it is given to them before they make the necessary cuts.
Computers also help doctors who use smaller incisions instead of the traditional larger openings. Small-incision surgery, most often referred to as minimally invasive surgery, offers the potential for faster recovery, less bleeding and less pain for patients.
Think of it this way. Perhaps you've seen the on-board computers in newer cars that provide driving directions using satellite navigation systems. On-board computers collect data points from satellites and use precise coordinates to give drivers directions from point A to point B. It provides a degree of precision, speed and accuracy not attainable with a map and compass.
Similarly, computers used during orthopaedic surgeries offer visual mapping to help doctors make crucial decisions before and throughout the knee replacement operation. The objective is to combine the precision and accuracy of computer technology with the surgeon's skill to perform surgery.
An advantage is that the doctor has greater "vision" when it counts — during surgery. This supports decision-making and enhances the surgeon's flexibility.
Here's how it works. Computer-assisted surgery uses:
- the computer system
- cameras
- software
- specialized surgical instruments
- physician training
Visual Mapping of Knee Joint
The Ci™ System's lightweight, wireless computer system is used with a small camera array. A digital model is produced that serves as a map for each operation. The cameras take data via infrared signals from reflectors placed on the patient's body and on specially designed surgical instruments. The computer uses the data to track the exact position of the patient and the instruments on a monitor. The combination of computer visualization and special surgical instruments allows doctors to align the knee replacement implant with greater precision than when doing the procedure with the naked eye.
Advocates of the technology say they expect the use of computer-aided surgery to spread rapidly in the next decade because of the following potential benefits:
- support for the doctor in pre-operative planning
- intra-operative flexibility to adapt the plan based on the data shown during the surgery
- improved surgical accuracy and consistency
The future of computer-assisted surgery is exciting and promising. Total joint replacement is a proven procedure that has been successful for decades in helping people live with less pain and greater mobility. Some surgeons will adapt the technology right away; others will await further results while adhering to the traditional hands-on approach they've used for years.
You can use our Surgeon Locator to find a doctor who utilizes computer technology during joint replacement surgery. Select "Computer Assisted Knee Surgery" from the Choose Product menu.
The way a knee replacement will perform depends on your age, weight, activity level and other factors. There are potential risks and recovery takes time. If you have conditions that limit rehabilitation, you should not have this surgery. Only your orthopaedic surgeon can decide whether partial or total knee replacement is right for you.
Last Updated: 03/06/2008
