L27 — July 2011 — Robotic-Arm Assisted Knee Resurfacing

Intro: Robots and video games. Two technologies that, believe it or not, are helping some surgeons perform more precise and effective operations for patients. Let's go to Mayo Clinic to see how doctors are using new tools for partial knee replacements.

This may look like a type of video game. But this technology, called robotic-arm-assisted knee resurfacing, allows surgeons to do partial knee replacements more precisely than ever before.

While I'm doing the surgery on the patient, I'm also watching the screen.

The image on the screen is a computer generated, custom-made map of a simulated patient's knee. It shows Dr. Cedric Ortiguera exactly where to operate. A robotic arm equipped with a burr keeps him from moving out of the targeted area.

The robot guides us and prevents us from making any mistakes.

The advantage of using the robot to perform the partial knee replacement is really twofold.

Dr. Mary O'Connor says first it allows surgeons to remove less bone, which is good because knee replacements don't last forever and future surgeries are more successful if there's more bone for surgeons to work with. Second, it allows surgeons to align the implant and match it more precisely with the patient's anatomy.

We're using this robot because we feel it is an advanced surgical tool to allow us to provide a better surgical outcome for our patients.

Patients like Lauren Whomsley.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I was a 5 or 6 on a really good day.

Lauren was a good candidate for this procedure. She's young and her osteoarthritis was confined to one area of her knee & she didn't need a full knee replacement. But the pain was bad. She couldn't do basic activities like walking up stairs.

On the days I was really, really sore, I would literally have to sit on the steps and pull myself up step by step. I have 23 steps.

Being sedentary was tough for Lauren.

I'm a fly fisherwoman. And I hike. Two of my favorite things to do.

But she couldn't do them. So, Lauren opted for the robotic-arm-assisted knee resurfacing. And now . . .

I'm back on my bike.

She's back in action, knee pain-free. For Medical Edge, I'm Vivien Williams.

Anchor tag:

Other benefits of the robotic-arm-assisted knee resurfacing may include less pain after surgery and a quicker recovery. That's because it is less invasive than other knee replacement procedures.

This procedure will not benefit all patients who need knee replacements due to wear-and-tear osteoarthritis. Talk to your doctor to see if it may be right for you.

For more information, visit our website at…

STATIONS: Per the licensing agreement, please provide a link from your station's website to http://www.MayoClinic.org or voice tag "MayoClinic.org" for more information.