We understand that making sure you know what to expect from your joint replacement experience is important to you. As you are reading through this material, if you have additional questions please reach out to us to discuss.
Each patient is unique, and can experience joint pain for different reasons. It’s important to talk to us about the reason for your knee pain so you can understand the treatment options available to you.
Pain from arthritis and joint degeneration can be constant or come and go, occur with movement or after a period of rest, or be located in one spot or many parts of the body. It is common for patients to try medication and other conservative treatments to treat their knee pain. If you haven’t experienced adequate relief with those treatment options, you may be a candidate for Mako Total Knee replacement, which may provide you with relief from your knee pain.
is a treatment option for adults living with mid to late-stage osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Mako provides you with a personalized surgical plan based on your unique anatomy. First, a CT scan of the diseased knee joint is taken. This CT scan is uploaded into the Mako System software, where a 3D model of your knee is created. This 3D model is used to pre-plan and assist your surgeon in performing your total knee replacement.
In the operating room, your surgeon follows your personalized surgical plan while preparing the bone for the Triathlon Total Knee implant. With over a decade of clinical history, Triathlon knee replacements are different than traditional knee replacements because they are designed to work with the body to promote natural-like circular motion.1-4
The surgeon guides the robotic-arm to remove diseased bone and cartilage within the pre-defined area and the Mako System helps the surgeon stay within the planned boundaries that were defined when the personalized pre-operative plan was created. In a laboratory study, Mako Technology demonstrated accurate placement of implants to a personalized surgical plan.5
It’s important to understand that the surgery is performed by an orthopaedic surgeon, who guides the robotic-arm during the surgery to position the implant in the knee joint. The robotic-arm does not perform surgery, make decisions on its own, or move without the surgeon guiding the robotic-arm. The Mako System also allows your surgeon to make adjustments to your plan during surgery as needed.
General indications: Total knee replacement is intended for use in individuals with joint disease resulting from degenerative, rheumatoid and post-traumatic arthritis, and for moderate deformity of the knee.
Contraindications: Knee replacement surgery is not appropriate for patients with certain types of infections, any mental or neuromuscular disorder which would create an unacceptable risk of prosthesis instability, prosthesis fixation failure or complications in postoperative care, compromised bone stock, skeletal immaturity, or severe instability of the knee.
As with any surgery, knee replacement surgery has serious risks which include, but are not limited to, peripheral neuropathies (nerve damage), circulatory compromise (including deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in the legs)), genitourinary disorders (including kidney failure), gastrointestinal disorders (including paralytic ileus (loss of intestinal digestive movement)), vascular disorders (including thrombus (blood clots), blood loss, or changes in blood pressure or heart rhythm), bronchopulmonary disorders (including emboli, stroke or pneumonia), heart attack, and death.
Implant related risks which may lead to a revision include dislocation, loosening, fracture, nerve damage, heterotopic bone formation (abnormal bone growth in tissue), wear of the implant, metal sensitivity, soft tissue imbalance, osteolysis (localized progressive bone loss), and reaction to particle debris. Knee implants may not provide the same feel or performance characteristics experienced with a normal healthy joint.
The information presented is for educational purposes only. Speak to your doctor to decide if joint replacement surgery is right for you. Individual results vary and not all patients will receive the same postoperative activity level. The lifetime of a joint replacement is not infinite and varies with each individual. Your doctor will help counsel you about how to best maintain your activities in order to potentially prolong the lifetime of the device. Such strategies include not engaging in high-impact activities, such as running, as well as maintaining a healthy weight. Ask your doctor if the Triathlon knee is right for you.
Stryker Corporation or its other divisions or other corporate affiliated entities own, use or have applied for the following trademarks or service marks: Mako, Stryker, Triathlon. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respected owners or holders.
In computer-assisted robotic surgery, a robot acts as an extension of the surgeon’s eyes and hands in a minimally invasive surgery to replace an arthritic knee. The robotics help surgeons operate more effectively through a smaller incision.
Total knee replacements are routinely done around with world with a high degree of success. When the replacements do fail, it is generally due to misalignment of the prosthesis. There is only a 3-degree window in which to place the implant appropriately. If the implant is misaligned, it is likely it will eventually become painful and may even loosen. A follow-up revision surgery is necessary to fix this. Many orthopedic surgeons now use robotic guidance systems to assist with removing and resurfacing only the arthritic part of a knee. This technique uses 3D computer mapping and micro-robotics to provide the surgeon with an amazing level of accuracy. The implant can be aligned much more accurately than with the naked eye. It has been shown to be precise to within fractions of a millimeter and assists with the balance of the implant joint.
The robotics are employed through small “minimally invasive” incisions, which result in less scarring and blood loss. Ultimately, the patient can have a shorter hospital stay and recovery period than with a conventional knee replacement.
The use of robotic guidance systems can assist surgeons with removing and resurfacing only the arthritic part of a knee without sacrificing your entire knee joint. This “minimally invasive” procedure is performed through a 2-3 inch incision and allows your surgeon to preserve as much of your natural bone and tissue as possible.
For patients with only unicompartmental osteoarthritis, this can be a good alternative to total knee replacement. As one of the least invasive knee surgeries performed, this procedure offers a smaller incision, less scarring and blood loss, a shorter hospital stay and the ability to return to everyday activities much sooner than with traditional knee replacement surgeries.
The ConforMIS IUni implant is a custom-made minimally invasive partial knee replacement alternative that allows doctors to preserve more of the patient’s ligaments, tendons and cartilage.
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