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Understanding The Different Knee Replacement Surgical Approaches

13 June 2016 by Sasha Meyer

When you find out that you are in need of a knee replacement, you may be surprised to also learn that there are numerous different types of knee replacement surgeries and different ways that the surgeon can choose to approach the procedure. While the extent and type of damage to your knee joint will dictate the type of knee replacement surgery you will receive (partial knee replacement, total knee replacement, etc...), you do have some say in the surgical approach that is used. Get to know more about the knee replacement surgical approaches so that you can discuss them with your doctor.

Traditional Approach

The traditional approach to replacing the knee is perhaps the most invasive of all of the options. It involves a longer incision (up to a foot in length) so that the surgeon can get a full view of the knee joint. This approach is entirely physician driven (meaning robotics and computer assistance are not used). The thing to know about the traditional approach to a knee replacement is that it also tends to involve cutting through the tendons in the quadricep muscle to better expose the knee joint and allow the surgeon to manipulate the joint as needed.

You may be wondering why someone would choose the traditional knee replacement approach because of theses issues. However, it does have its benefits. The traditional knee replacement approach can help a surgeon to better deal with complex knee replacements. For example, if you have suffered an injury and there are bone fragments floating in the knee joint, the surgeon will better be able to see and locate all of he shards and fragments and repair the knee.

Robotic or Computer-Assisted Approach

A more modern approach to knee replacement surgery is the use of computers and/or robotics to help make the process of knee replacement more efficient and to reduce complications in the process. Most robotic and computer-assisted knee replacement surgeries take a minimally invasive approach to the surgical procedure. This means that the incisions are smaller than the traditional approach.

A computer-assisted knee replacement surgery uses detailed 3-D images (taken with x-rays or a CT scan) to create a digital model of your knee joint on the computer. Your surgeon can then get a good look at your knee before even making an incision. This can help them better plan the surgery and how they will proceed. The computer images also help to improve precision in the surgery itself, so the knee joint is as well-aligned as possible.

If the surgeon also opts for a robotic knee surgery (or robotic-assisted), they will have surgical instruments that are linked to that computer system and will use robotics to help guide the instruments, improving precision and accuracy. This is a computer-assisted surgery taken to the next level with real-time assistance and image rendering during the surgical procedure.

Now that you know more about some of the knee replacement surgical approaches, you can talk to a surgeon like Noyes Knee Institute about which option would be best for you.

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