First Robotics-Assisted Total Knee Surgery Performed

Dr. Craig Mahoney, orthopedic surgeon, Iowa Ortho, has performed the first robotics-assisted total knee arthroplasty at Boone County Hospital using the NAVIO Surgical System. The surgical milestone represents one of the first CT-free robotics-assisted total knee arthroplasty procedures using the NAVIO Surgical System in the world.

"The NAVIO system provided me with robotic assistance for precise and efficient implant placement,” said Dr. Mahoney. “I was happy to see how seamlessly it integrated into our standard workflow."

Unlike other robotics-assisted platforms, the NAVIO system does not require a pre-operative CT-scan. Instead, the surgeon collects patient-specific data during the procedure to build a 3D model of the patient’s knee. This is used to plan the surgery.  To perform the procedure, a handheld robotics-assisted tool (the NAVIO hand piece) is used to position NAVIO-specific cut guides exactly as intended, based on the patient-specific data previously collected. This extra layer of precision and accuracy is designed to enable optimal implant placement for better patient outcomes.

The introduction of robotic assistance should have knee replacement candidates feeling very confident about the future of knee surgery.  The technology looks to have great promise and will eventually be used in many orthopedic surgical procedures.

Smith & Nephew, the manufacturer of the system, is committed to developing other robotics-assisted surgical applications for the system. In the United States, the NAVIO system has been used in unicondylar knee arthroplasty since December 2012, and patellofemoral arthroplasty since July 2014.

To learn more about NAVIO robotics-assisted surgery, log on to www.boonehospital.com. To request an appointment with Dr. Mahoney in the Boone County Hospital Specialty Clinic, call the Iowa Ortho office at (515) 247-8400 or request an appointment online at https://www.iowaortho.com/request-an-appointment/