Computer Navigation for Total Knee Replacement

A total knee replacement surgery is the last resort to relieve pain and restore function in a knee damaged by arthritis or injury, when nonsurgical treatments do not relieve the condition. The procedure involves replacing the damaged surfaces of the articulating bones with an artificial implant. Most of these implants wear with use. Thus, the chances for revision surgery is high if you are young and active, if the implant must last the lifetime. The life of the implant can be extended by precise alignment of the implant and this can be achieved using computer navigation.

Computer navigation for total knee replacement surgery provides your surgeon with real time 3-D images of the mapped knee and the surgical instruments during surgery. The data for the images is provided by infrared sensors fixed to the bones of the knee and the surgical instruments. Their position is tracked by an infrared camera placed above the surgical table connected to the computer. The computer than generates the real-time images with the help of the appropriate software to guide your surgeon to precisely resurface and cut the bones of the knee and fix the implant precisely and accurately, according to the pre-operative surgical plan. The surgery is performed by your surgeon itself. Computer-navigation is just a tool to guide your surgeon and improve the outcome of the surgery, but cannot replace the skills of an experienced surgeon.