Dr. Vijay Kishore Reddy, a joint replacement and arthroscopy surgeon, discusses the use of robotic surgery for arthritis treatment. Unlike conventional surgery, which involves a physical assessment and X-ray, robotic knee replacement uses a detailed CT scan to create a three-dimensional model of the patient’s knee.
The surgeon and robot collaborate to create a surgical plan with higher accuracy. During the surgery, the robot assists the surgeon by placing arrays on the femur and tibia, allowing the robot and surgeon to know precisely where the knee is and how much bone to resects. The robot also provides guidance in ligament balancing and trailing of implants, leading to more accurate prosthesis placement and a well-balanced knee, ensuring a better range of movement.
Robotic knee replacement can be performed on anyone requiring any form of knee replacement, whether it’s a total or partial knee replacement. Advantages of robotic knee replacement surgery include less post-surgery pain due to no unnecessary damage to surrounding tissues, increased accuracy, and faster recovery time. In the next decade, robotic knee surgeries will become more widely available, with almost all replacement surgeries, especially knee and hip replacements in India, being robotic-assisted.
