Planning Robot Assisted Hip Replacement

The Stryker Mako Hip application was recently upgraded to version 4.1. I did my first 200 robotic hip replacements just about 7 years (and a few software versions) ago. Compared to the early upgrades, it was a relatively small change to the software but it continued to make improvements in the planning and execution of hip replacement.

What I have come to appreciate about CT guided robotic surgery is the degree to which the reconstruction problem is solved prior to incision. Plan the case carefully on a 3D model, use the digitizer to mark an accurate neck cut before making the resection, the haptic guidance in the robotic arm will help place the socket to match the plan, and you know exactly what you’re going to get before the case starts. It is a really predictable way to do surgery because it allows you to check each part of the procedure against a 3D plan as it is being performed.