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Computer Assisted Orthopaedic Surgery

Computer navigation technique is the latest revolution in orthopaedic surgery. This technology is used for replacement of arthritic knee or hip joints.

Computer navigation provides the surgeon with the real time 3-D images of the mapped patient’s affected joint and the surgical instruments during surgery. The data for the images is provided by the infrared sensors fixed to the bones of the joint and the surgical instruments. Their position is tracked by an infrared camera placed above the surgical table connected to the computer. The computer then generates the real time images with the help of the appropriate software to guide the surgeon to precisely resurface and cut the bones of the joint and fix the implant precisely & accurately according to the pre-operative surgical plan. Thus, the surgery is done by the surgeon only. Computer navigation is just a tool to guide the surgeon and improve the outcome of the surgery. It cannot replace the skills of an experienced surgeon.

The life of the implant can be extended by precise alignment of the implant and this can be achieved by the use of computer navigation for total joint replacement surgery.

Orthosensor Verasense Technology

Background on Intelligent Orthopaedic Surgery

Joint Replacement

The practice of total joint replacement for ailing hips and knees has evolved since the concept of substituting a manufactured joint for a real one was pioneered in the mid 20th century. Today, more than 500,000 knee replacements are performed annually in the United States. While the materials used to create the implants have advanced, with the exception of computer-assisted navigational positioning, there have been few innovations to provide information to enhance surgical technique.

The Need for Soft Tissue Balance

For a joint replacement to function correctly and provide optimized, full range of motion, soft tissue balance is critical.These soft tissues include ligaments, tendons and muscles that exert forces on the joint, enabling its movement and providing stability. If the joint is too tight, it cannot regain its full motion and function, limiting flexion and extension. If too loose, the joint will become unstable, and the bearing can dislocate. If loaded excessively on one area, the joint will fail prematurely.Therefore, adjusting these soft tissue forces is a crucial aspect of a successful joint replacement.

Until now, surgeons have lacked quantifiable data to optimally load, align and balance the joint.Surgeons’ decisions about these functions varied based on individual judgment, experience and skill set, making critical soft tissue kinematic adjustments more of an art than an exact science.

Implant Failure

Soft tissue balance and alignment is crucial for the stability and longevity of a joint replacement. The development of joint instability and mal-alignment after implantation causes approximately 36% of all premature implant failures, burdening the patient and requiring high cost revision surgery.Procedural cost estimates alone for knee revision currently range from $12,000 to $22,000.

Intelligent Orthopaedic Surgery

By harnessing the latest breakthroughs in sensors, micro-electronics and wireless communications, OrthoSensor™ is bringing orthopaedic surgeons actionable data that they can use to achieve optimal soft tissue balance and limb alignment. The first intelligent orthopaedic surgery devices are a portfolio of sensor-assisted instruments that quantify joint load, alignment and balance. These instrument systems provide real-time, intra-operative, quantifiable data about joint kinematics to surgeons and hospitals, improving healthcare outcomes and reducing the long-term cost of treating musculoskeletal disease.

VERASENSE™ Knee Application

The first application of intelligent orthopaedic surgical technology is OrthoSensor’s VERASENSE Sensors, a low-cost, single-use instrument system that replaces the standard plastic tibial trial spacer used during knee replacement surgery. FDA 510(k) cleared,VERASENSE Sensors are embedded with advanced proprietary sensor, accelerometer, microelectronic and communications technologies. This low-cost, intelligent device quantifies and wirelessly transmits key data on joint load, balance and alignment to a real-time graphic display. This dynamic, visual feedback enables surgeons to make evidence-based adjustments to soft tissues, alignment and implant placement to optimize clinical outcomes and enhance patient satisfaction.

Pioneer of Intelligent Orthopedic Surgery

VERASENSE Knee System is an innovative, surgical instrument system integrates embedded advanced sensor, accelerometer, and microelectronic technology that wirelessly transmit real-time data measurements of joint balance, alignment and load during total knee replacement surgery. With this data, surgeons are able to optimize the positioning of the orthopedic implant intra-operatively to improve overall implant longevity and patient outcomes.

“Quantifying and measuring the load, alignment and balance of an orthopedic implant during surgery are vitally important in ensuring a successful total knee replacement procedure,” said Dr. Jaime Hernandez, Orthopaedic surgeon. “We are very excited to begin using the VERASENSE Knee Application and VERASENSE Sensors to optimize joint load, alignment and balance for each of our patients. We feel that Intelligent Orthopaedic Surgery is the latest evolution in total knee replacement and are honored to be one of the few hospitals in the country to offer this innovative technology to our patients.”

For more information on the VERASENSE Knee System and Intelligent Orthopaedic Surgery visit www.OrthoSensor.com.