MAKO Partial Knee

 MAKO Partial Knee Replacement

MAKOplasty® Partial Knee Resurfacing is an innovative treatment option for adults living with early-to mid-stage osteoarthritis (OA) that has not progressed to all three compartments of the knee.

What is MAKOplasty?
MAKOplasty is a robotic arm assisted partial knee resurfacing procedure designed to relieve the pain caused by joint degeneration due to osteoarthritis (OA). By selectively targeting the part of your knee damaged by OA, your SOS joint replacement surgeon can resurface your knee while sparing the healthy bone and ligaments surrounding it.

What is Osteoarthritis (OA)?
OA is a form of arthritis and a degenerative joint disease characterized by the breakdown and eventual loss of joint cartilage. Cartilage is a protein substance that serves as a cushion between the bones of a joint. With OA, the top layer of cartilage breaks down and wears away, allowing bones under the cartilage to rub together.

What causes OA of the knee?
Although the root cause of OA is unknown, the risk of developing symptomatic OA is influenced by multiple factors such as age, gender and inherited traits that can affect the shape and stability of your joints. Other factors can include:

• A previous knee injury

• Repetitive strain on the knee

• Improper joint alignment

• Being overweight

• Exercise or sports-generated stress placed on the knee joint

What are the symptoms of OA of the knee?

Symptoms of OA of the knee include:

• Pain while standing or walking short distances, climbing up or down stairs, or getting in and out of chairs

• Pain with activity

• Start up pain or stiffness when activities are initiated from a sitting position

• Joint stiffness after getting out of bed

• Swelling in one or more areas of the knee

• A grating sensation or crunching feeling in the knee during use

How is OA of the knee diagnosed?
Your SOS physician will begin by reviewing your medical history and symptoms. He or she will observe the natural movement of your knee, evaluate your knee and ankle joint alignment, and check your reflexes, muscle strength, range of motion and ligament stability in the affected knee. Your physician may order x-rays to determine how much joint or bone damage has been done, how much cartilage has been lost and if there are bone spurs present. Additional medical imaging tests such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be ordered to determine exactly where the damage is and its extent. Your physician may also order blood tests to rule out other causes of symptoms, or order a joint aspiration which involves drawing fluid from the joint through a needle and examining the fluid under a microscope.

How is OA treated?
Whether your OA is mild or severe, your physician will most likely recommend certain lifestyle changes to reduce stress on your knee joints. Additional disease and pain management strategies may include: physical therapy, steroid injections, over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or topical pain relieving creams.

Speak with your SOS physician if your symptoms aren’t responding to non-surgical solutions, or your pain can no longer be controlled by medication. You could be a candidate for surgery. The most common surgical knee intervention performed for OA is a total knee replacement. During this procedure, the natural joint is removed and replaced with an artificial implant. This treatment option is usually offered to patients with advanced osteoarthritis of the knee.

Total knee replacement is not always optimal for patients with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis in just one or two compartments of the knee. For patients with partial OA of the knee, MAKOplasty® Partial Knee Resurfacing may be the more appropriate solution.

If you’ve caught the arthritic damage early, you may be eligible for a partial knee replacement. This is where the disease has not progressed to all 3 compartments of the knee, allowing the surgeon to replace fewer parts.

MAKOplasty Partial Knee Resurfacing Can:

• Enable surgeons to precisely resurface only the arthritic portion of the knee

• Preserve healthy tissue and bone

• Facilitate optimal implant positioning to result in a more natural feeling knee following surgery

Unlike other more invasive procedures MAKOplasty can often be performed through a four to six inch incision over your knee with small incisions in both your femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin). Additionally the preservation of your own natural bone and tissue along with more ideal patient specific implant positioning may also result in a more natural feeling knee. And since healthy bone is preserved, patients who undergo MAKOplasty partial knee procedures may still be a candidate for a total knee replacement procedure later in life if necessary.

The MAKOplasty procedure is indicated for patients suffering from unicompartmental or bicompartmental knee disease. A total replacement is sometimes necessary if your surgeon discovers during surgery that your knee has more damage than originally seen in the pre-operative X-rays and CT scan. Your physician should discuss the specific risks associated with MAKOplasty and other treatment options with you. In addition, you should be informed of any pre-operative and post-operative instructions by your surgeon or his or her staff.