CORI® Robotic-Assisted Knee Surgery
Proliance Surgeons Skagit Northwest Orthopedics offers Partial and Total knee replacement using robotic-assisted surgical methods. As one of the first orthopedic groups in the Puget Sound Region to adopt robotics, we have had extensive experience with the technology since 2016.
Robotic-assisted knee replacement is an innovative treatment option for adults living with osteoarthritis (OA) in the knee, allowing for consistently reproducible precision in performing Partial and Total knee resurfacing. Read on to learn more!
What is Robotic-Assisted Joint Replacement?
Similar to traditional knee replacement surgery in how it’s performed, the only meaningful difference is that the operation is done with the assistance of a robotic arm, which allows for greater precision.
Robotic-assisted surgery can be used for both Partial and Total knee replacements. By selectively targeting the portion of the knee that has been damaged by osteoarthritis, Partial knee replacements resurface only the arthritic areas of the knee without compromising the healthy bone and tissue surrounding it.
We at Proliance Skagit Northwest Orthopedics use the CORI Surgical System, which provides an additional layer of pre-surgical planning, allowing for improved precision for both partial and total knee replacement procedures. This allows for the surgeon to create a highly individualized plan that is specific to both the unique shape and motion of the patient’s knee and being able to without a CT scan to create a surgical guide.
Advantages of Robotic-Assisted Knee Joint Replacements
Compared to traditional knee replacement surgery, there are several benefits that highlight the advantages of having robotic-assisted knee replacement surgery:
- Greater precision: Robotics enhances the orthopaedic surgeon's expertise and ability to be more precise during surgery, such as with tissue removal and implant placement.
- Greater joint alignment: Robotic technology enables the surgeon to better align and position the knee implant, creating a more natural feeling and less friction with the new joint.
- Better preservation of healthy tissue: The robot can be programmed to differentiate between damaged and healthy tissue, allowing surgeons to only remove what's necessary, potentially leading to a more conservative surgery.
- Quicker rehabilitation: Due to the minimally invasive nature and precision of robot-assisted surgeries, patients might experience faster recovery times, and begin rehabilitation earlier.
- Decreased blood loss: Minimally invasive techniques often result in less blood loss during surgery.
Robotic Knee Replacement Procedure
The procedure is outpatient, allowing many patients to get back on their feet in just one day. The joint replacement surgery, with robotic assistance, differs from the traditional in that navigation pins are placed into the bone to guide the robotic-assisted instruments. These navigation pins provide sensory feedback and assist the surgeon in their precision while removing damaged bone, cartilage, and placing the prosthetic joint. Beyond the navigation pins guiding the robotic arm, the procedure is highly similar to traditional knee replacement.
Your Proliance Surgeons Skagit Northwest Orthopedics Knee Arthroplasty Surgeons perform Partial and Total knee replacements using the CORI Surgical system. The CORI robotic-assisted surgery system does not require a pre-operative CT scan, unlike most other systems. Eliminating the need for a CT scan saves time, cost, and radiation to the patient.
Call for an appointment with our robotic knee replacement surgeons:
Robotic Joint Replacement F.A.Q.
- The CORI Surgical System uses handheld robotics-assisted technology that helps your surgeon plan and
perform your unique procedure. This robotics-assisted approach is efficient and accurate - The CORI Surgical System is a hand-held, radiation-free system that provides experienced surgeons
with enhanced surgical planning and robotics-assisted cutting tools designed to ensure optimal implant
selection and positioning based on a patient’s unique anatomy. - Unlike other robotics-assisted platforms, the CORI Surgical System’s real-time planning eliminates the
need to undergo a preoperative CT scan thereby reducing patient exposure to potential harmful
radiation. - Can be used with both partial and total knee implants.
- When compared to traditional UKA, Robotics-assisted UKA has a lower risk of revision.
- One of the most common reasons for knee pain is osteoarthritis, also known as “wear and tear” arthritis.
- Osteoarthritis often requires treatment using either full or partial knee replacement surgery. Generally speaking, as osteoarthritis progresses it causes the smooth cushion between bones (cartilage) to break down. This loss of cartilage can cause your joints to become swollen, hard to move and painful.
While there’s no cure for osteoarthritis, there are lots of treatment options, including both surgical and
nonsurgical options you should discuss with your surgeon. These include:
- Lifestyle changes that can include weight loss and reducing activities that are stressful on your knee
- Physician-prescribed low-impact exercises and physical therapy
- Medications to decrease swelling and provide temporary pain relief
- Surgical options, such as arthroscopic surgery, and partial and total knee replacement.
- Most often, partial knee replacement is an option for early to mid-stage knee pain and damage. With this type of knee implant your surgeon replaces the area of your knee that is damaged while keeping the supporting tissue and ligaments that help stabilize your knee.
- Most often, a total knee replacement is an option for advanced knee pain and damage. With this type of knee implant your surgeon replaces the entire knee joint. It’s one of the most common procedures performed in all of medicine.
- At the beginning of your surgery, your surgeon uses the CORI Surgical System to create a customized 3D digital model of your knee. This three-dimensional view helps your surgeon finalize and verify the right size implant for you and create a detailed surgical plan for how your replacement will be placed in order to optimize movement and function.
- During the procedure, the CORI Surgical System works in conjunction with your surgeon’s skilled hands to achieve accurate positioning of the knee implant based on your unique anatomy.
- The system sends precise information about your knee to the robotics-assisted handpiece more than 300 times per second, allowing your surgeon to remove damaged surfaces, balance your joint and position the implant with accuracy.
- The CORI Surgical System also helps your surgeon perform the procedure as he/she planned it, giving you the combined benefits of the accuracy of robotics assistance and the skill and training of your experienced surgeon.
- As an added benefit, the 3D digital model eliminates the need to get a CT scan of your knee before your surgery, which reduces your exposure to harmful radiation.