Computer Assisted Surgery in Total Knee Replacement – Align to survive! — Patient Guide for Lucknow Computer Assisted Surgery in Total Knee Replacement – Align to survive! — Patient Guide for Lucknow — लखनऊ में मार्गदर्शन

One-tenth of the population over 55 years is affected with osteoarthritis of knee. Though it is a common problem in older people but a major concern of pain and disability.

Apart from osteoarthritis, conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, seronegative arthritis, posttraumatic arthritis and malignant tumour conditions of the knee joint also cause severe morbidity to patients. Currently, approximately 2% of the population of 55 years age and above are so disabled that they need TKR.

Key symptoms and patterns

This procedure increases the life expectancies and public expectations, thereby improving the quality of life and mobility in later years. The estimated prevalence of osteoarthritis in women is nearly twice as high in men. Why is Total Knee Replacement (TKR) necessary?

Most patients are able to manage their symptoms with medical treatment and conservative methods, despite that several patients are referred to joint replacement specialists for further management.

TKR is indicated for: Pain relief Functional improvement in severe knee joint degeneration Arthritis Stability of knee Adequate alignment of prosthesis components and limb Allow sufficient range of motion When is it required? Total knee replacement (TKR) is considered necessary when your knee is damaged beyond repair.

Doctors can make this out by performing special knee x-rays

Doctors can make this out by performing special knee x-rays. If your knees are damaged and it is restricting your movement, then you are the right candidate for TKR. In TKR, the parameters that decide longevity are reproducible surgical technique and alignment of implants.

Surgical technique is the most critical factor in deciding the success of TKR, among other factors like appropriate soft-tissue balance, accurate axial alignment whether viewed from front or sides ( i. e in both coronal and sagittal planes ), and symmetrical rectangles of flexion and extension gaps.

Which technique is used? Computer navigation is a technique which aids the surgeon during surgery to achieve perfect alignment. Note: In this operation, the whole knee is not replaced but rather an artificial implant is fixed over the worn out ends of the bones.

Diagnosis and evaluation

The knee specialists perform this surgery using the latest technique of computer navigation. It is a step by step operation. If one step goes wrong it affects the next and the next, and so on.

With computer assistance, the surgeon can plan the steps of surgery on the computer generated model, before executing them on the patient. This implies that a surgeon can know what effect a particular surgery will have. If some action does not appear okay on the model knee, the surgeon has a choice to make changes.

Also, with computer navigation, the surgeon can check the accuracy of each step before going on to the next. All these checks and balances require sophisticated computer equipment and time, but what comes out at the end is perfect fitting. Conventionally, mechanical jigs were used for this surgery.

Treatment and self-care

The use of these jigs involved certain amount of judgment, so called “eye-balling” on the part of the surgeon. Ironically, sometimes even when the case is in best hands, the judgment can be incorrect in 30% of cases.

The reason for this is that human anatomy is variable, and it is not always possible to predict the variation in surgical technique required to match a particular patient. In other words, a ‘cook book’ approach does not work all the time.

Consult Dr. Kumar Deepak in Lucknow

Persistent joint, bone, or muscle symptoms deserve a structured evaluation rather than repeated self-treatment alone.

Dr. Kumar Deepak — M.S. Ortho (Gold Medalist), F.I.J.R | ASAMI | AO Trauma — consults at The OrthoVision Clinic and Remedy Medicity, Lucknow. Call to book an appointment and discuss a plan suited to your activity level.