Mako technology can be used for partial knee replacement (PKR), which is a procedure designed to relieve the pain caused by joint degeneration due to osteoarthritis (OA) in one or two compartments of the knee. By selectively targeting the part of your knee damaged by OA, your surgeon can replace the diseased part of your knee while helping to spare the healthy bone and ligaments surrounding it.
It’s important to understand that the surgery is performed by an orthopaedic surgeon, who guides Mako’s robotic arm during the surgery to position the implant in the knee joint. Mako SmartRobotics™ does not perform surgery, make decisions on its own or move without the surgeon guiding it. Mako SmartRobotics™ also allows your surgeon to make adjustments to your plan during surgery as needed.
The Mako technology provides your surgeon with a patient-specific 3D model to pre-plan your partial knee replacement. During surgery, your surgeon guides the Mako robotic-arm based on your patient-specific plan. This allows the surgeon to remove only the diseased bone, preserving healthy bone and soft tissue, and assists your surgeon in positioning the implant based on your anatomy.
Mako SmartRobotics™ for partial knee replacement is a treatment option for adults living with early- to midstage osteoarthritis (OA) that has not yet progressed to all three compartments of the knee. Depending on where the arthritis affects the knee, patients may have an implant inserted in any of the following areas:
It all begins with a CT scan of your joint that is used to generate a 3D virtual model of your unique anatomy. This virtual model is loaded into the Mako system software and is used to create your personalized pre-operative plan.
In the operating room, your surgeon will use Mako to assist in performing your surgery based on your personalized pre-operative plan. The Mako system also allows your surgeon to make adjustments to your plan during surgery as needed. When the surgeon prepares the bone for the implant, the Mako system guides the surgeon within the pre-defined area and helps prevent the surgeon from moving outside the planned boundaries. This helps provide more accurate placement and alignment of your implant.
After surgery, your surgeon, nurses and physical therapists will set goals with you to get you back on the move. They will closely monitor your condition and progress. Your surgeon may review an x-ray of your new partial knee with you.