that, by some esti-
mates, surgeons
who do fewer than
30 knee replace-
ments a year per-
form about 80% of
arthroplasties.
High-tech solu-
tions that take some
of the guesswork
out of performing
knee replacements
could level the play-
ing field between
high- and low-volume docs, but surgeons of all skill levels can benefit
from working with technologies that help them place implants that per-
form better and last longer.
1. Robotics
Anthony Adili, MD, FRCSC, became a bit of a pioneer earlier this year.
In January, the chief orthopedic surgeon at St. Joseph's Healthcare
Hamilton in Ontario became the first surgeon in Canada to perform a
robotic knee replacement.
For Dr. Adili, robotic surgery offers the opportunity for better pre-op
planning and more precise cuts and implant placement. With the
robotic method, a patient undergoes CT scanning to develop a 3D
model of the knee. Surgeons use that model to come up with a plan
for the procedure and to determine the best implant to fit a patient's
knee. Once in the OR, the surgeon and robotic arm work in tandem to
cut only within the pre-planned areas. The process eliminates the esti-
1 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • A P R I L 2 0 1 9
• LINED UP Accelerometer- and gyroscope-based instruments take the guesswork out of
proper knee alignment.
David
Mayman,
MD
