What is it?
MAKOplasty is a procedure designed for patients suffering from osteoarthritis damage in their inner knee. Using robotic guidance, your surgeon will make a 3-4 inch incision (shorter than a traditional incision of 5-6 inches) to remove the diseased portion of your knee. This will allow for the remaining healthy bone and neighboring tissue to be kept in its original state. An implant is then inserted into the knee joint to allow for smoother movement. Results generally indicate that patients can expect a shorter postoperative hospital stay, as well as minimal blood loss and quicker rehabilitation. Patients also typically have a smaller scar than those caused by other surgical procedures.
A partial knee replacement is an alternative procedure to total knee replacement. It is often used for patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee in which the damage is isolated to a particular compartment of the knee (in this case, the medial, inside compartment). Improvements in technology and implant quality in recent years have made partial knee replacement a sounder option than in the past. As opposed to total knee replacement, partial knee replacement tends to better preserve range of motion and knee function in the affected area. This is mostly due to the surgery’s ability to leave healthy tissue and bone in the knee intact. The surgery reduces blood loss, and patients often recover faster than patients who have undergone other knee surgeries.
How is it Performed?
A partial knee replacement of this nature will last around 1-2 hours in most cases. The surgeon will first make an incision in the front of the knee. He or she will then explore the medial compartment of the knee to identify the damaged cartilage to make sure it is located in just one compartment. The surgeon will use saw-like instrumentation to remove cartilage from the affected medial compartment. To replace the cartilage are metal implants that simulate the surface of the joint and held to the bone with a cement-like substance. A plaster spacer is then inserted between the two metal implants to create a smoother surface for the joint to glide on.
