3D robotic revolution for knee and hip ops
ROBOTIC technology being rolled out across the NHS could “revolutionise” joint surgeries that can leave thousands suffering pain and lack of mobility each year.
Approximately 80,000 knee replacements are performed in England and Wales each year, and up to 20 per cent have poor outcomes, requiring costly investigations, hospital visits or revision surgery.
Experts say the technology has hardly moved on from the 1970s.
But the CORI system allows surgeons to measure, plan and perform knee surgery using 3D computerised technology.they can personalise the fit of the new joint to the patient’s individual anatomy once in theatre.
The tech, from Smith+nephew, consists of a computer-sized unit with infra-red cameras, mounted on a portable stand. The cameras pick up details of the patient’s knee, joint and limb to guide the surgeon in the choice and orientation of implants. If successful, it could be broadened out for other joint or spine surgery.
Tim Parratt, a leading orthopaedic knee surgeon for the East Suffolk, North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, has been piloting the technology.
He said: “There is excitement within the orthopaedic community that technology like this could advance our surgical techniques and benefit patients. Despite a few different iterations, conventional knee replacement has not fundamentally changed in a very long time. This type of surgery allows me to place the implants in a highly accurate way, without having to rely on the accuracy or error of the human eyeball.
“I can position the implant in balance with the patient’s leg alignment as well as their ligaments and muscles – I can match the operation to each patient rather than match the patient to the operation.”
More than 680,000 Britons are waiting for a hip or knee replacement, many for well over a year, often living with chronic pain.
Over 10 per cent of patients waiting for knee surgery say their quality of life is “worse than death”.
Mr Parratt works at Colchester Hospital but CORI is also being used at Central Middlesex and the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham. He said:
“We use computer technology in every other part of our lives, why not in surgery where we can get extremely high accuracy and individualise operations?
“I can do an intraoperative simulation of the proposed knee replacement before I’ve even touched the patient’s knee joint.
“There is no doubt this technology could be applied to other surgeries. We’re already looking into hip surgery and from my experience I could see its uses in all joint replacements as well as spinal surgery.”
Simon Tarry, Smith+nephew MD, said: “The CORI system enables every patient to have a knee replacement that is shape-matched and aligned to their specific anatomy.
“We know outcomes aren’t consistent in non-robotic surgeries and one in five patients have issues following surgery. Our technology has evolved so we can achieve a personalised fit to each individual patient.”