Computer Assisted Knee Replacement
Currently in Australia over 20% of knee replacement surgeries are undertaken with the assistance of computer guidance. Mr Clark has been utilising this technology for the past 14 years. Computer assisted knee replacement surgery utilises a computer with an attached sensor. This sensor can detect trackers that are attached to both the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone). The surgeon then utilises these trackers and builds a virtual model of the knee within the computer. From this alignment is planned and utilises the computer as a “mini GPS system”. The surgeon is able to accurately place cutting blocks and perform accurate surgical cuts. Literature has shown that this system is more accurate than conventional jig based systems. There are early results in the literature suggesting that knee replacements performed utilising this method have a lower revision rate in the medium to longer term.
