Kinki University Hospital in Japan announced on April 10 that it has introduced for the first time in Japan a state-of-the-art, imported robot to assist in knee replacement surgery. On April 9, the hospital used the robot to perform surgery on a male patient in his 50s.
According to a Kyodo News report on April 11, the procedure is intended for patients requiring artificial joint replacement surgery due to age-related joint diseases, rheumatism causing knee deformities, or sports injuries. With the assistance of a robot, the surgery can achieve greater precision than before, potentially allowing patients to return to society more quickly.
During the surgery, the robot first uses infrared stereoscopic measurement to calculate the shape of the patient's knee joint and the balance during flexion and extension. After the doctor determines the position and angle for inserting the artificial joint, the screen displays the bone-cutting range and depth. The drill operates when it approaches the corresponding range and stops when it reaches the predetermined depth.
Traditional surgeries often involve removing the anterior cruciate ligament, which is crucial for flexion and extension, and then shaving the bone according to a pre-determined area using computed tomography (CT) imaging. However, some patients experienced discomfort and pain during movement. The introduction of robots allows for a more precise fit to the patient's knee and also preserves the ligament.
Knee implantation surgeries are primarily performed on the elderly, with approximately 90,000 procedures having been performed nationwide in Japan. Professor Masao Akagi, the head of the medical department who performed the surgery that day, stated, "By utilizing robots, we can perform customized surgeries for each patient."
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