Robotic Knee Replacement: How Technology Improves Surgical Precision | Dr. Sinukumar Bhaskaran
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Dr. Sinukumar Bhaskaran, a joint replacement specialist at Manipal Hospital Karadi, explains that total knee replacement surgery has been the standard treatment for end-stage arthritis for over five decades. In this procedure, the damaged ends of the femur and tibia are resurfaced with metallic caps to recreate the natural gap between bones and correct deformities. While traditional methods rely on human precision, Dr. Bhaskaran notes that the human eye can only accurately measure angles up to five degrees, meaning that any deviation smaller than this requires advanced technological assistance to ensure optimal alignment and function.
The integration of robotics into knee replacement surgery addresses these limitations by enabling highly precise preoperative planning and execution. Surgeons begin with a comprehensive CT scan of the patient's entire limb, focusing specifically on the knee joint to gather detailed anatomical data. Using this information, they can perform a virtual simulation of the surgery before entering the operating room, allowing them to meticulously plan the exact angle and depth for each implant. This digital planning ensures that the new implants are positioned to perfectly recreate the patient's native biomechanics, which is crucial for long-term joint health and mobility.
Beyond the initial planning phase, robotic assistance plays a critical role during the actual execution of the surgery by helping surgeons adhere strictly to their pre-determined targets. This technology minimizes human error and ensures that the complex geometric requirements of the implant are met with a level of accuracy that is difficult to achieve manually. By combining detailed virtual mapping with real-time surgical guidance, robotic knee replacement offers significant benefits for patients seeking effective treatment options, ultimately leading to better functional outcomes and improved quality of life for those suffering from severe joint degeneration.
Read the full video transcript
Hi, I'm Dr. Sinu Bhaskaran. I'm a joint
replacement specialist at Manipal
Hospital, Karadi.
Uh so, with knee replacement, like we
mentioned, usually the treatment options
that we have are surgical. We've had the
total knee replacement surgery for the
last 50 years. In this, what we do is we
basically resurface the ends of both the
bones, that is the femur and tibia
within the
within the knee joint, and these
metallic caps are put on either end,
which recreates the gap as well as
corrects the deformities.
Uh now, these metal implants are put at
very precise angles, and the human eye
can just measure up to 5° of angles.
But, anything less than that, you would
need some sort of technology, and that's
where robotics comes in.
Robotic knee replacement is highly
precise. We can actually do a
preoperative CT scan for this patient,
in which we look at the complete limb of
the patient, focusing on the knee, and
we actually can perform a virtual
surgery on the patient before we
actually go into the patient's knee, and
we can plan on what angle to keep this
particular implant, which
depth to keep the implant, so that we
can recreate the patient's native
biomechanics. So, robotic knee
replacement is quite helpful, not just
in the preoperative planning of the
patient, but also in the execution of
the targets that I have planned as a
surgeon. So, robotic knee replacement is
definitely here to stay, and it's got a
lot of benefits for any patient who has
end-stage arthritis and who's looking
for treatment options.