Robotics in Orthopaedic Joint Replacement Surgery

Mr Jamie Young

BSc (Hons) MBBS MRCS FRCS (Tr & Orth)

Arthritis, the medical term for inflammation of a joint, is becoming increasingly more common and affects 10 million people in the UK. Osteoarthritis is by far the most common form and generally affects older patients. In osteoarthritis the natural smooth cartilage surfaces of the joint become damaged and worn leading to worsening inflammation, pain and often deformity.

Once non-operative measures have been exhausted you may be offered a resurfacing operation to replace the worn-out joint surfaces. This is commonly called a joint replacement (also known as arthroplasty) and will be performed by an orthopaedic surgeon with specialist training in this area. The most commonly affected joints requiring resurfacing are the knee and hip.

Knee-Replacement Evolution

Inspired by Sir John Charnley’s hip replacement of the early 1960s, which used a metal ball with polyethylene liner, knee replacements as we know them today were first implanted by Frank Gunston in 1968. Though the implant materials, geometry and instrumentation have improved over the past 53 years the principles of these operations are largely unchanged.

Traditional alignment rods are still used today in order to prepare the bone surfaces and position the implants as accurately as (humanly) possible. But just like the aircraft and car industry before us computer-assistance and robotics is proving that more accurate implant positioning is possible and with it better outcomes for our patients.

The Navio robotically-assisted system allows your orthopaedic surgeon to create a fully-customised model of your own knee at the time of surgery. This patient-specific model is then used to precisely prepare the bone surfaces for optimal implant positioning all under the control of the surgeon. The short- and mid-term scientific data is encouraging showing faster recovery after surgery, an improvement in knee function, a more natural-feeling knee and importantly a lower revision rate (the need to redo the replacement). The future is here.

Robotically-assisted knee replacement Summary:-

Optimised implant positioning.
Improved patient-reported function.
A more-natural feeling knee.
Increased range of knee movement.
Lower revision rate.
Faster recovery

Mr Young is delighted to bring Robotically-assisted joint replacement surgery to his patients at The Nuffield Tunbridge Wells Hospital. This is one of only a handful of sites in the UK to offer this exciting technology and the first hospital in Kent. For more information or to book a consultation contact The Invicta Orthopaedic Clinic on 07757 732921 or info@invictaclinic.com.