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One of the largest joints in the body is the hip, and over time, it can become damaged due to issues like arthritis, a fracture, bone tumors, or hip disease. Alleviating the pain and discomfort caused by an unhealthy hip often calls for total hip replacement surgery. A common procedure, a total hip replacement calls for the bone and cartilage to be removed and replaced with an artificial hip, which can be made of metal, plastic, and ceramic. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, approximately 300,000 total hip replacements occur every year in the United States.
Total hip replacement candidates typically experience symptoms such as:
Constant hip pain
Hip pain while walking or bending
Hip stiffness
There are multiple approaches to total hip replacement, including having the procedure done from behind the hip, to the side of the hip, or in front of the hip. Anterior Approach Total Hip Replacement—meaning the incision is made on the front of the hip—provides the surgeon the ability to perform the surgery through a smaller incision. This surgical approach involves the spreading of a natural split between two large hip muscles, without cutting them. There is less damage to muscles, less pain, faster recovery, and a shorter hospital stay. Because the thick tendons and muscles behind the hip are not cut, patients with this procedure are also usually less likely to experience hip dislocation.
Spring Hill Medical Center is unveiling its latest tool to help patients. It’s a robotic arm to assist in surgeries for partial knee and total hip replacements.
So, this is how it works. Patients go through CAT-scans and surgeons use information from that to create pre-operative plans for the placement of their implants. During operation, the surgeon is in control, but the robotic arm limits their movement – that keeps the accuracy within one-tenth of a millimeter.
“A huge and overwhelming benefit is really being able to place those components accurately. We know from multiple studies that placing implants in their correct orientation leads to better outcomes, fewer complication, and enhance the longevity of the implant. So, we want patients to have a great result but also a very durable result.” – Dr. Matthew Barber, AOC
Spring Hill Medical Center is the first hospital in the Mobile area to offer operations with this device.
Springhill Medical Center is the first hospital in the Mobile area to offer Stryker’s Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Partial Knee and Total Hip replacement procedures. This latest advancement in joint replacement surgery is transforming the way joint replacement procedures are performed.
“This system allows us to be extremely precise in the planning, preparation and implantation of joint prostheses to help patients achieve the best possible results,” said Dr. Matthew Barber, AOC Joint Replacement Specialist.
Robotic-arm assisted surgery is a new approach to joint replacement that offers the potential for a higher level of patient-specific implant alignment and positioning. The technology allows surgeons to create a patient-specific 3D plan and perform joint replacement surgery using a surgeon-controlled robotic-arm that helps the surgeon execute the procedure with a high degree of accuracy.
“Mako is changing the way joint replacement surgeries are performed,” said Dr. Barber. Using a virtual 3D model, the Mako System allows the surgeons to personalize each patient’s surgical plan pre-operatively, so there is a clear plan for how the surgeon will position the implant before entering the operating room. During surgery, the surgeon can validate that plan and make any necessary adjustments, while the robotic-arm then allows the surgeon to execute that plan with a high level of accuracy and predictability. The combination of these three features of the system has the potential to lead to better outcomes and higher patient satisfaction.
The Mako Partial Knee application is a treatment option designed to relieve the pain caused by joint degeneration due to osteoarthritis that has not yet progressed to all three compartments of the knee. Following the personalized pre-operative plan, the surgeon guides the robotic-arm during bone preparation to execute the predetermined surgical plan and to position the implant. By selectively targeting only the part of the knee damaged by osteoarthritis, surgeons can resurface the diseased portion of the knee while helping to spare the healthy bone and ligaments surrounding the knee joint. Studies have shown robotic-arm assisted partial knee replacement to be two to three times more accurate than manual partial knee replacement procedures.
The Mako Total Hip application is a treatment option for adults who suffer from degenerative joint disease of the hip. During surgery, the surgeon guides the robotic-arm during bone preparation to prepare the hip socket and position the implant according to the predetermined surgical plan. In cadaveric studies, Mako total hip replacement acetabular cup replacement has been shown to be four times more accurate and reproducible than manual total hip replacement procedures.
“AOC is very proud to have this innovative technology in the greater Mobile area,” said Dr. Barber. “I am excited about leveraging the use of robotic technology to produce better outcomes for our patients.”
For many people who are affected by persistent hip pain or limited mobility, hip replacement surgery can
be a life-changing experience.
Hip replacement, also called total hip arthroplasty, is a common surgical procedure to replace a damaged, or worn out hip joint with a prosthetic implant. Not all patients will require a total replacement, others may only need a hemi or half replacement.
Of course, there are various reasons why someone would consult a joint specialist about hip replacement surgery. Typically, surgery may be an option after a hip injury (fracture/break) or severe pain due to arthritis.
Signs it may be time to consult a joint specialist:
– Hip pain while walking, sitting or using stairs
– Hip pain that keeps you awake at night
– Swelling or stiffness in the hip joint
