Mako Partial Knee Replacement | Surgery

We understand that making sure you know what to expect from your joint replacement experience is important to you. Each patient is unique, and can experience joint pain for different reasons.

Pain from arthritis and joint degeneration can be constant or come and go, occur with movement or after a period of rest, or be located in one spot or many parts of the body. It is common for patients to try medication and other conservative treatments to treat their knee pain.

If you haven’t experienced adequate relief with those treatment options, you may be a candidate for Mako Partial Knee replacement, which may provide you with relief from your knee pain.

How Mako Technology Works

Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Technology provides you with a personalized surgical plan based on your unique anatomy. First, a CT scan of the diseased knee joint is taken. This CT scan is uploaded into the Mako System software, where a 3D model of your knee is created. This 3D model is used to pre-plan and assist your surgeon in performing your partial knee replacement.

In the operating room, your surgeon follows your personalized surgical plan while preparing the bone for the implant. The surgeon guides the robotic-arm within the pre-defined area and the Mako System. The surgeon guides the robotic-arm within the pre-defined area and the Mako System helps the surgeon stay within the planned boundaries that were defined when the personalized pre-operative plan was created. This helps to provide more accurate placement and alignment of your implant.

Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted partial knee replacement is a treatment option for adults living with early to mid-stage 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:

Step 1. Knee CT Scan

Step 2. Knee Personalized Planning

It's important to understand that the surgery is performed by an orthopaedic surgeon, who guides the robotic-arm during the surgery to position the implant in the knee joint. The Mako Robotic-Arm does not perform surgery, make decisions on its own, or move without the surgeon guiding the robotic-arm. The Mako System also allows your surgeon to make adjustments to your plan during surgery as needed.

Important Information

Partial knee replacement

General indications: Partial knee replacement is intended for use in individuals with joint disease resulting from degenerative and post-traumatic arthritis, and for moderate deformity of the knee.

Contraindications: Partial knee replacement surgery is not appropriate for patients with certain types of infections, any mental or neuromuscular disorder which would create an unacceptable risk of prosthesis instability, prosthesis fixation failure or complications in postoperative care, compromised bone stock, skeletal immaturity, severe instability of the knee, or excessive body weight.

Common side effects of knee replacement surgery: As with any surgery, knee replacement surgery has serious risks which include, but are not limited to, peripheral neuropathies (nerve damage), circulatory compromise (including deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in the legs)), genitourinary disorders (including kidney failure), gastrointestinal disorders (including paralytic ileus (loss of intestinal movement)), vascular disorders (including thrombus (blood clots), blood loss, or changes in blood pressure or heart rhythm), bronchopulmonary disorders (including emboli, stroke or pneumonia), heart attack, and death.

Implant related risks which may lead to a revision of the implant include dislocation, loosening, fracture, nerve damage, wear of the implant, metal sensitivity, osteolysis (localized progressive bone loss), and reaction to particle debris. Partial knee implants may not provide the same feel or performance characteristics experienced with a normal healthy joint.

The information presented is for educational purposes only. Speak to your doctor to decide if joint replacement surgery is right for you. Individual results vary and not all patients will receive the same postoperative activity level. The lifetime of a joint replacement is not infinite and varies with each individual. Your doctor will help counsel you about how to best maintain your activities in order to potentially prolong the lifetime of the device. Such strategies include not engaging in high-impact activities, such as running, as well as maintaining a healthy weight. Ask your doctor if robotic-arm assisted surgery is right for you.

Stryker Corporation or its other divisions or other corporate affiliated entities own, use or have applied for the following trademarks or service marks: Mako, Stryker. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respected owners or holders.

References

Bell, Stuart W., Anthony, Iain, Jones, Bryn, MacLean, Angus, Rowe, Philip, and Blyth, Mark. Improved accuracy of component positioning with robotic-assisted unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Volume 98-A: Number 8. April 20, 2016. pp 627-35.