Visual Guide to Mako Robotic Knee Replacements
There are several types of knee replacements. Partial knee replacements replace only the damaged compartments of the knee leaving the healthy compartments alone and maintaining all the ligaments of the knee joint. Total Knee Replacement should be used only when all the compartments of the knee are damaged, or the deformity of the knee joint is too severe to be corrected with partial knee replacement alone. To learn more about each procedure in great detail, please go to our “Robotic Partial Knee Replacement Surgery Guides”. These will provide you with an in-depth explanation of Robotic Partial & Total Knee Replacement Surgery. Below are brief descriptions and x-rays showing what the different partial knee replacement options look like and what a total knee replacement looks like.
Robotic Partial Knee Replacement Surgery
MEDIAL PARTIAL KNEE REPLACEMENT
This x-ray represents a medial robotically installed partial knee replacement by Dr. Buechel with precision central tracking and alignment, and an image of the opposite knee showing medial joint space narrowing which is the precursor to this procedure. The Medial side is the inner side of the knee joint made up of the femur and tibia.
LATERAL PARTIAL KNEE REPLACEMENT
This x-ray represents a lateral robotically installed partial knee replacement by Dr. Buechel with precision central tracking and alignment, and an image of the opposite knee showing a normal joint space. The Lateral side is the outer side of the knee joint made up of the femur and tibia.
PATELLOFEMORAL PARTIAL KNEE REPLACEMENT
This x-ray represents a patellofemoral robotically installed partial knee replacement by Dr. Buechel with normal spaces in the medial and lateral joint compartments. The patellofemoral compartment is the part made up of the kneecap and the front groove of the end of the femur that the kneecap rubs on called the trochlea.
BI-COMPARTMENTAL PARTIAL KNEE REPLACEMENT
This x-ray represents a medial robotically installed partial knee replacement by Dr. Buechel with precision central tracking and alignment, along with the patellofemoral compartment replacement and a preserved lateral compartment in the same knee.
LATERAL AND PATELLOFEMORAL REPLACEMENT
This x-ray represents a laterally robotically installed partial knee replacement by Dr. Buechel with precision central tracking and alignment, along with the patellofemoral compartment replacement and a preserved medial compartment in the same knee.
This x-ray view shows the lateral compartment very nicely but is slightly rotated as far as the angle the technician used to see the patellofemoral compartment.
MEDIAL PARTIAL KNEE REPLACEMENT AFTER ACL RECONSTRUCTION
This x-ray shows a front and a side view of a knee that had a medial partial knee replacement preformed precisely with the Mako Robotic System by Dr. Buechel.
It shows precision central alignment of the implants and precision alignment. The opposite compartment is still well preserved with a good joint space of cartilage. You will also see the previous screws that were used to perform the ACL reconstruction that remain in the bone and can be planned around precisely with the computer planning.
Robotic Total Knee Replacement Surgery
This x-ray shows a complex total knee replacement which allows you to see the amount of surface change needed in the total knee. The knee joint has 3 compartments, the medial on the inside, the lateral on the outside, and patellofemoral compartments which is the kneecap and the front of the thigh bone. A total knee replacement replaces the surface of all 3 compartments of the knee joint with metal and plastic parts called “implants”.