Robotic Knee Surgery: The New Frontier for Osteoarthritis Patients

Knee osteoarthritis is a debilitating condition that affects millions of people, limiting their ability to perform daily activities and significantly reducing their quality of life. When conservative treatments fail, total knee replacement becomes a correct and improving option. Today, thanks to the advancement of technology, robotic surgery represents a revolution in this field, offering patients a more precise and personalized solution.

What is Robotic Knee Surgery?

Robotic surgery does not replace the surgeon, but assists him, enhancing his precision capabilities. Using an advanced robotic system such as the MAKO, the ROSA or the more recent VELYS by DePuy Synthes, the surgeon can operate with extraordinary control, adjusting every detail of the intervention in real time. These systems do not require pre-operative CT or MRI: the acquisition of the patient's anatomical data occurs directly in the operating room, during the intervention, ensuring immediate and highly accurate surgical planning.

Benefits for Osteoarthritis Patients

The scientific literature is promising in this field but still needs to be implemented and improved. Let's see what emerges from what has been written recently.

1. Increased Precision and Personalization

Robotic surgery allows each prosthetic component to be calibrated to the patient's unique anatomy. This level of customization translates into more natural post-operative movement and improved patient comfort (Naji et al., Journal of Arthroplasty , 2022).

2. Reduction of Trauma to Soft Tissues

One of the main advantages of robotic surgery is its ability to reduce damage to surrounding soft tissues while preserving healthy anatomical structures. Recent studies have shown that this approach reduces postoperative pain and accelerates functional recovery (Hofmann et al., Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery , 2021).

3. Greater Stability and Better Functionality

Thanks to the precision in the implant, patients report a better sense of stability and function of the knee compared to traditional techniques. This is especially important for those who want to maintain an active lifestyle, even after surgery (Marchand et al., Orthopedic Clinics of North America , 2020).

4. Better Post-Op Recovery

Robotic surgery results in faster recovery times and less demanding rehabilitation, which is crucial for patients who want to return to their daily activities quickly. According to a study published in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research in 2021, patients who underwent robotic surgery showed a significant reduction in the use of pain medications as early as the first post-op week.

A Leap into History: From Space Robotics to the Operating Room

Did you know that surgical robotics has its roots in space missions? In the 1990s, robotic systems were first developed to perform remote operations during space exploration. This technology was later adapted to medicine, with the first robotic orthopedic surgery performed with the ROBODOC system in the United States.

DePuy Synthes’ VELYS, a next-generation robot, is an example of how technology is evolving. This system uses high-precision sensors to capture patient data in real time, allowing the surgeon to adjust the procedure without the need for complex pre-operative tests.

What to Expect from Robotic Surgery?

Robotic surgery begins with a direct assessment of the knee joint during surgery. The robot guides the surgeon and the surgeon guides the robot. This partnership creates increased efficiency that allows prosthetic components to be positioned with millimeter precision. This can not only improve knee function, but can minimize intra- and post-operative complications.

Conclusions

Robotic knee surgery is the evolution, it is the advancement of existing technologies to improve precision and reduce deviations from the optimal. A bit like what happened with the car when GPS navigators were introduced. Even before we were able to reach the desired destination as with these new devices we get lost less and take less time. A similar concept can also be applied to the introduction of robotic surgery, greater control, greater efficiency. Ultimately, this technology could be the key to better results on a large scale.

Want to know more? Click here .