Surgical navigation systems are part of the advances in medical technology that have taken place in recent decades and allow precision and accuracy to be achieved in interventions.
Knee prostheses are a treatment that has been carried out since 1970 but whose success depends on multiple factors. Regarding surgery, these are: the alignment achieved between the center of the hip, knee and ankle and the ligamentous balance of these joints. Achieving precision and accuracy between both variables allows the function of the knee joint with the prosthesis in place to be as close as possible to its normal function and for said prosthesis to have a much longer useful life.
Surgical navigation and its benefits
The center of rotation of the hip, knee and ankle is not visible to the human eye, but thanks to navigation it is possible to see them. By placing emitters and cutting guides with an infrared system on the bones, professionals can access the exact information of their patient's lower limb and the precise point where they should place the prosthesis.
The advantages of using this technology are:
· Longer duration of the prosthesis.
· Better joint function.
· Correction of previous deformities with standard prostheses; that is, the need to resort to special prostheses is avoided.
· Less release of soft tissues that, added to intraoperative analgesic infiltrations, reduce postoperative pain.
· Faster mobilization of the operated limb, which includes standing and walking on the same day of the intervention.
· Shorter hospital stays and rapid start of rehabilitation.
What is a knee joint replacement?
Joint replacement consists of replacing the structures that have deteriorated in the joint, including the cartilage and bony parts of the knee, with implants made of different materials that perform the same function. The most used are metal and plastic.
What do you get with a knee joint replacement?
A clear improvement in the patient's quality of life lost due to the disease. The process allows you to remove pain as the main aspect, it also improves joint mobility and gives you back your independence.
