 Johnson and Johnson’s new computer navigator is reportedly a major breakthrough as it helped perfect total knee replacement
surgery, according to renowned
orthopaedic surgeon and chairman of MIOT Hospital, Dr K
Mohandoss.
The equipment, successfully tested in Bonn, Adelaide and Chennai, would go a long way in helping surgeons decide the correct anatomical axis with regard to hip and ankle joints and the joints below the knee, Mohandoss said in Chennai June 12.
He said the equipment helped surgeons pinpoint the anatomical axis while performing the surgery. This is crucial because the axis differs from person to person.
Dr Mohandoss said he had conducted 65 knee replacements with the help the computer navigator in the past three months with zero error.
Even if there was a one per cent error in fixing the anatomical axis, the alignment would be incorrect, leading to early wear and tear in the polyethylene liner, similar to a mal-aligned car tyre, he said. The trouble was this could lead to early loosening of the implants and failure of the primary operation, crippling the patient in a few years.
 With some more advancements, the equipment could be used for cardiac and
brain surgeries, he suggested.
Dr Mohandoss said the hospitalisation period could be reduced considerably if the knee replacement was done with the aid of the equipment. Patients could walk within a couple of days after the surgery, he said.
The equipment would also help in bringing down the time of the surgery, he said.
The cost of the equipment was Rs 75
lakh.
When asked the reason behind choosing Chennai as one of the centres for testing the equipment, which costs Rs 75 lakh, he said the talent in the medical field available in the metropolis made it an ideal place for the work.
Agencies
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Knee
replacement made easy
