Computer-aided joint replacement surgery : a boon for patient

Computer-assisted navigation in joint replacement has brought about a revolution in joint replacement surgery. The most common cause of premature failure of implants in joint replacements done with manual technique is mal-alignment. The new technology of computer-based navigation system has completely eliminated mal-alignment and has made joint replacement surgery 100% accurate. Computer-assisted navigation enables the surgeon to consistently achieve results that are far more accurate than via conventional methods. Dr. Subhash Jangid has launched the NAV 3 (World’s most advanced navigation system for Joint Replacement) for the first time in India at Artemis Hospital, Sector 51, Gurgaon.

As the accuracy level is very high, it also helps increase the life of the implants to 20 – 25 years, and it also results in less blood loss to the patient. This innovative computer navigated joint-replacement surgery technique has revolutionised joint-replacement surgeries and greatly decreased rehabilitation period of patient. Patients having undergone such operation at our hospital are able to walk unaided and climb stairs within a few days after surgery.

Computer-assisted navigation system guides the surgeon to make absolutely precise cuts in the knee and correct the deformities. It also eliminates human errors in the surgery. It uses infrared camera, computer with sophisticated software to provide the real time, patient specific information during surgery while virtually eliminating expensive and radiation intensive CT and MRI scans before the surgery. At the beginning of the operation, the surgeon strategically positions small transmitters on the patient’s leg. The surgeon then guides the leg through a series of prescribed movements which, in turn, are recorded by navigation’s infrared camera and transmitted to computer. The computer analyses those positions to create an anatomic ‘model’ of the knee and updates this information throughout the procedure, displaying for the surgeon all relevant axes, angles, and distances. Analyzing and providing this constant data, navigation helps to guide the surgeon through bone cuts, implant positioning, soft tissue ligament balancing, and more, depending upon the requirements of the case.

With advent of new technology and improvement in knee replacement product designs, a person undergoing knee replacement can look forward to a really quick and pain-free rehabilitation. Alignment in total knee replacement is critical to the function and long term durability of total knee replacement. Traditional techniques have relied on a combination of surgical “eyeballing” and indirect methods to guide the cuts in the bone which determine the position/alignment of the prosthesis. Mal-alignment can result in an “unbalanced” knee leading to unsatisfactory function and premature wear of the prosthesis.

As accuracy level is ideal, computer assisted navigation ensures that the real life of the implant would be long enough to nearly match the laboratory data.