Postoperative outcomes and safety may be heightened by integration of robotics

In the future robotics may find their way into every orthopaedic operating room, but according to some orthopaedic surgeons, this will not occur until better systems are designed and the entire surgical team is familiar with the operation — and potential — of these systems.

Kamal Deep, MBBS, MS, DNB, FRCS, D Orth, MCh Orth, FRCS Orth, of Clydebank, United Kingdom, told Orthopaedics Today Europe robotics used in orthopaedic surgery first found their way into operating rooms more than 20 years ago, but they have become more common in the past decade, but their use is still limited to a few select centers.

“Historically, robotic equipment was used in the early 1990s, but initial prototypes were large and had their limitations. Modern technology has grown and allowed surgical robotics to move forward; present day equipment remains complex, but is simpler to use than it has been in the past. As new technology is developed and new tools are invented, robotics will play a much larger role in orthopaedic surgery,” Deep said. “At present, robotic systems are used for either unicompartmental or total knee replacement (TKR), hip replacement and spinal procedures, with unicompartmental knee replacement being the most common, he said.

Click here to read the full story in the January issue of Orthopaedics Today Europe.