icon_search

The Medical Center Offers Hip and Knee Procedures Performed with Highly-Advanced Robotic Arm Technology

Mako™ Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery Enables a New Level of Accuracy and Reproducibility for Partial Knee and Total Hip Replacement

The Medical Center is the first in Southcentral Kentucky to offer partial knee replacement and total hip replacement procedures, performed using the Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery System marketed by Stryker. The Mako system is a surgeon-controlled robotic arm system that enables accurate alignment and placement of implants. The Medical Center is the one of only three hospitals in Kentucky that have invested in the Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery System.

“Accuracy is key in planning and performing both partial knee and total hip procedures,” said Rasesh Desai, M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon with Medical Center Orthopaedics. “For a good outcome you need to align and position the implants just right.  The Mako system enables surgeons to personalize partial knee and total hip arthroplasties to achieve optimal results at a level of accuracy and reproducibility previously unattainable with conventional instrumentation.” 

The Mako System features a patient-specific visualization system and proprietary tactile robotic arm technology that is integrated with intelligent surgical instruments. It assists surgeons in pre-planning and in treating each patient uniquely and with consistently reproducible procedure. 

Mako Partial Knee Replacement is a treatment option for adults living with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis that has not yet progressed to all three compartments of the knee. It is less invasive than traditional total knee surgery. A pre-surgical plan is created based on a CT scan of the patient’s own knee, and the surgeon uses the robotic arm during surgery to resurface the diseased portion of the knee, sparing healthy bone and surrounding tissue for a more natural feeling knee. An implant is then secured in the joint to allow the knee to move smoothly again. 

“There is no need to replace the entire knee joint when the arthritis is only affecting a small portion of it,” said Sameer Badarudeen, M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon with Medical Center Orthopaedics. “By doing a partial knee replacement instead of total knee replacement we are able to preserve a patient’s own ligaments and avoid cutting the rest of the joint which is unaffected by arthritis.  Studies have shown that partial knee replacement when compared to total knee will help patients have improved outcomes especially ‘early return to activities’ and a more ‘natural’ feeling knee than a total knee replacement. By doing the partial knee replacement with the help of the MAKO robotic-arm assisted technology, we are able to place the implants with extreme precision and accuracy which is impossible to achieve by using regular handheld instruments. This will prolong the life of these implants and improve patient outcomes.”

During Mako Total Hip Replacement surgery, the Mako system provides visualization of the joint and biomechanical data to guide the bone preparation and implant positioning to match the pre-surgical plan. After first preparing the femur or thighbone, the surgeon uses the robotic arm to accurately ream and shape the acetabulum socket in the hip, and then implant the cup at the correct depth and orientation. The surgeon then implants the femoral implant.  The Mako procedure offers the confidence of more accurate cup placement and accurate leg length restoration. 

“We are proud to be the first to use this innovative technology in Southcentral Kentucky,” said Connie Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Med Center Health. “It is part of our commitment to provide our community with the latest advances and the very best in orthopaedic care.”

«
»