Knee operation using Mako's new robotic arm (with IMMR feedback) a huge success

HT to cellodude on the IV MB:

>>Holy Cross Hospital Acquires Enhanced Robotic Arm Technology -- RIO™ Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System

Expands Partial Knee Resurfacing Procedure Capabilities from Unicompartmental to Bicompartmental

Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) June 13, 2009 -- Dr. Martin Roche at Holy Cross Hospital was the first in the world to perform MAKOplasty®, a minimally invasive partial knee resurfacing procedure used to treat early to mid-stage osteoarthritis of the knee. Now doctors at Holy Cross are utilizing the next generation of the robotic arm system by MAKO Surgical Corp, the new RIO™ Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System.

For Leonard Fields, 78, of Lighthouse Point, the new technology is a blessing. Dr. Roche removed 2/3 of Fields' knee - a portion of the medial (inside) and the patellofemoral (top) of the left knee.

"I'm doing fine," said Fields, who came home after 4 days in the hospital and looks forward to resuming his golf game. "I got out of the car and had to come up 17 steps. I used the cane on the first two; then I walked right up those steps. The doctor said he could not believe it. Within a week, I was bending the knee more than 90 degrees."

With RIO and new implants designed specifically for use with the robotic arm system, the minimally invasive MAKOplasty® procedure can be provided to a larger pool of patients diagnosed with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis of the knee. Previously, MAKOplasty was only available to treat just the inside portion of the knee. The RIO System now makes possible resurfacing of the medial, patellofemoral, or both components of the knee.

"Precision is key in planning and performing partial knee surgeries," said Dr. Roche, Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at Holy Cross Hospital. "For a good outcome, you need to align and position the implants just right. Precision in surgery, and in the pre-operative planning process, is what the RIO System delivers. We are very excited to use the new RIO and to be able to offer MAKOplasty to a greater number of patients."

RIO enables specific pre-operative surgical planning and modeling based on each patient's unique anatomy. During the MAKOplasty procedure, the surgeon uses the robotic arm, which provides tactile, acoustic and visual feedback, to limit the bone preparation to the diseased areas and provide for optimal implant placement. The goal of this minimally invasive procedure is to restore the patient's natural knee motion with as little bone cutting and tissue trauma as possible, for a more natural feeling knee post operatively and a rapid recovery.

The opportunity for early intervention is important as osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and a leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).