Makoplasty & High-Tech Knee Surgery

Makoplasty is a surgical

procedure for partial knee

or total hip arthroplasty. It

is a robotic arm assisted

partial knee resurfacing

procedure. Makoplasty is

performed by the Robotic

arm Interactive Orthopedic

system known as RIO. The

system uses a three

dimensional (3D) computer

imaging system along with

the robotic arm to remove

diseased portion of the knee and replace it with an artificial implant.

Makoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure where Dr. Hayden creates a plan for the surgery using RIO. During makoplasty, the computer creates a 3D view of the bone surface and correlates it with the pre-programmed surgical plan. This helps Dr. Hayden determine the exact implant size, position and alignment. The process is performed by making a very small incision over your knee. Then the area affected by osteoarthritis is removed without touching the healthy bone and ligaments.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a form of arthritis and a degenerative joint disease where wear and tear occurs due to various reasons eventually resulting into loss of cartilage. Cartilage is a proteinaceous substance that serves as a lubricating agent or a cushion between two bones. In case of OA, the topmost layer of cartilage breaks down and wears away as a result of which bones rub against each other because of which patients start experiencing symptoms such as pain in knee joint, stiffness, difficulty in climbing stairs, walking, constant chronic dull pain in the affected joint. Many factors such as external trauma and sports related injuries can produce OA.

Makoplasty is a procedure done to relieve the pain caused by joint degeneration secondary to OA. In this process, the affected part of the joint is removed and is replaced by an implant. It is especially beneficial for patients who have only one compartment of the knee joint affected. Makoplasty can have many advantages as it is minimally invasive. It minimizes blood loss, leaves behind only a small scar and as it is a small procedure, it shortens the hospital stay. In fact, the patient typically resumes a normal lifestyle within 10-14 days. For a total hip replacement, makoplasty increases the accuracy of the implant placed in the socket.

Summary:

Makoplasty is a surgical procedure where diseased part of the knee is replaced by an implant using a 3D imaging system and a robotic arm. It is a short procedure compared to total knee replacement and has multiple benefits. Failure rate is also much less comparatively and is ideally suited for unilateral compartment osteoarthritis.