By Douglas Garland, M.D., medical director, MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center, Long Beach Memorial | The MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center at Long Beach Memorial offers an innovative new treatment option for those suffering with osteoarthritis of the knee that has not yet impacted the entire knee. MAKOplasty is a robotic arm assisted partial knee resurfacing procedure designed to relieve the pain caused by joint degeneration due to osteoarthritis (OA).
OA is a form of arthritis and a degenerative joint disease characterized by the breakdown and eventual loss of joint cartilage. Cartilage is a protein substance that serves as a cushion between the bones of a joint. With OA, the top layer of cartilage breaks down and wears away, allowing bones under the cartilage to rub together.
How is OA treated?
Whether your OA is mild or severe, your physician will most likely recommend certain lifestyle changes to reduce stress on your knee joints. Additional disease and pain management strategies may include: physical therapy, steroid injections, over-the-counter pain medications, such as acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or topical pain relieving creams.
Total Knee Replacement
The most common surgical knee intervention performed for OA is a total knee replacement. During this procedure, the natural joint is removed and replaced with an artificial implant. This treatment option is usually offered to patients with advanced osteoarthritis of the knee.
Total knee replacement is not always optimal for patients with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis in just one or two compartments of the knee. For patients with partial OA of the knee, MAKOplasty Partial Knee Resurfacing may be the more appropriate solution.
Partial Knee Replacement
By selectively targeting the part of the knee damaged by OA, our expert surgeons can resurface the knee while sparing the healthy bone and ligaments surrounding it, often resulting in a more rapid recovery and shorter hospital stay than traditional total knee replacement surgery
Minimally Invasive Approach
Unlike other more invasive procedures, MAKOplasty can often be performed through a four to six inch incision over the knee with small incisions in both the thigh bone and shin. Additionally preserving natural bone and tissue along with more ideal patient specific implant positioning also may result in a more natural feeling knee after surgery. And since healthy bone is preserved, patients who undergo MAKOplasty partial knee procedures may still be a candidate for a total knee replacement procedure later in life if necessary.
The RIO Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System features three dimensional pre-surgical planning. During surgery, the RIO provides the surgeon with real-time visual, tactile and auditory feedback to facilitate optimal joint resurfacing and implant positioning. It is this optimal placement that can result in more natural knee motion following surgery.
Patients Who Can Benefit from MAKOplasty Typically:
- Experience knee pain with activity, usually on the inner knee, under the kneecap or isolated to the outer knee
- Suffer from start up knee pain or stiffness when activities are initiated from a sitting position
- Have tried non-surgical treatments, injections or non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory medication, to ease the pain but they are no longer helping
There are risks associated with any knee surgical procedure, including MAKOplasty, and your physician can explain these risks. If your symptoms aren’t responding to non-surgical solutions, or your pain can no longer be controlled by medication, you could be a candidate for surgery.
Speak with your physician to determine if MAKOplasty is right for you. If you would like to learn more about this procedure and whether it is a good treatment option for you or someone you know, contact 800-MEMORIAL for a list of orthopedic surgeons specializing in MAKOplasty.