ONEONTA, N.Y. — An orthopedic surgeon recently performed the first robot-guided, partial knee replacement at A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta.
Dr. Michael Diaz, an orthopedic surgeon with the Bassett Medical Group, performed the procedure using the Navio surgical system last month, the hospital said in a news release.
“The Navio system uses image-guided technology to see and treat only the damaged part of the knee,” Diaz said. “So with this system, we spare the healthy bone while regaining knee function. It provides Bassett Healthcare Network patients more options in knee-pain surgery so they don’t have to wait until they are ready for a total knee replacement.”
The Navio system represents “an advancement” in the way Bassett’s orthopedic surgeons perform partial knee replacement, the hospital said.
The system works in conjunction with the surgeon’s “skilled” hands to secure “precise” positioning of the knee implant based on each patient’s anatomy.
To recreate the patient’s anatomy, the surgeon uses a computer to generate a three-dimensional model of the patient’s knee on screen, the hospital said.
Besides Diaz, Drs. James Scott, Jackson LaBudde, and Jonathon Richman perform the procedure at A.O. Fox Hospital, the organization said.
About Navio system
The surgeon uses the Navio instrument to sculpt away only the bone damaged by osteoarthritis, preserving all the ligaments. Once the damaged bone is removed, the artificial implant is secured into place.
The robotic instrument does not perform the procedure, but instead assists the surgeon with accuracy. The “added level of accuracy can help improve the function, feel and longevity” of the partial knee implant, A.O. Fox Hospital said.
As a partial knee replacement procedure, the hospital contends the Navio system offers a “number of benefits compared to total knee replacement.”
They include less pain, “quicker” rehabilitation and recovery, “lower” risk of complications, “more natural” knee movement, “smaller” incisions, “improved” range of motion, “shorter” hospital stay, “less removal” of bone and cartilage, and “no removal” of ligaments, per the release.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
