Orthopedics at NW Health offers robotics aided surgeries 

Northwest Medical Center in Bentonville announces a new robotics technology for knee and total hip replacement procedures, performed using a new, surgeon-controlled robotic arm system that enables accurate alignment and placement of implants.

“Accuracy is key in planning and performing both partial knee and total hip procedures,” said Michael Maline, DO, orthopedic surgeon at NMC-Bentonville. “For a good outcome you need to align and position the implants just right.  RIO enables surgeons to personalize partial knee and total hip arthroplasties to achieve optimal results at a level of accuracy and reproducibility previously unattainable with conventional instrumentation.”

The new technology features a patient-specific visualization system and proprietary tactile robotic arm technology that is integrated with intelligent surgical instruments. It assists surgeons in pre-planning and in treating each patient uniquely and with consistently reproducible procedure.

This is a treatment option for adults living with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis that has not yet progressed to all three compartments of the knee. It is less invasive than traditional total knee surgery. A pre-surgical plan is created based on a CT scan of the patient’s own knee, and the surgeon uses the robotic arm during surgery to resurface the diseased portion of the knee, sparing healthy bone and surrounding tissue for a more natural feeling knee. An implant is then secured in the joint to allow the knee to move smoothly again.

During surgery, the new technology provides visualization of the joint and biomechanical data to guide the bone preparation and implant positioning to match the pre-surgical plan. After first preparing the femur or thighbone, the surgeon uses the robotic arm to accurately ream and shape the acetabulum socket in the hip, and then implant the cup at the correct depth and orientation. The surgeon then implants the femoral implant.

“We are proud to be the first in NWA to use this innovative technology,” said Sharif Omar, CEO, Northwest Health System. “It is part of our commitment to provide our community with the best possible healthcare.”