Need a new knee or hip? Robot can help install it

“When I started practicing 30 years ago, if someone had hip pain, we would take X-rays and even if they had arthritis and in their 40s, we would have them modify their activity. and wait, ”says Dr. William Maloney, professor of orthopedic surgery at Stanford University.

No more. “Technology keeps pace with the patient’s desire to stay active,” he said.

One of the biggest innovations came in the late 1990s and early 2000s – just when marathon runners, tennis players were starting to show signs of wear and tear.

“The industry has found a way to make good implants,” said Robert Cohen, president of digital, robotics and enabling technology of Stryker’s orthopedic replacement unit in Mahwah, NJ. more – relatively soft, but durable – and put it through a process of treatment, heat and radiation, making it even stronger. “

The implantation of “highly cross-linked polyethylene” significantly reduces the need for corrective surgery. “One of the main reasons for the modification was that polyethylene was damaged in the replacement joint,” he said.

“Thanks to the advent of more durable, more durable materials,” he said, “we’ve pretty much eliminated that.”

New implants also offer faster recovery times.

Dr. Dorothy Scarpinato, of Melville, NY, said: “When I was a resident, people were hospitalized for 10 days after the hip or knee was gone.” Therefore, she added, “people are not as afraid of this surgery as they were before.”

Factors contributing to a shorter hospital stay include less invasive surgery, rapid rehabilitation, better pain management methods, and use of zones, Dr. Maloney said. area instead of general anesthesia.