Mako® robotic-arm assisted knee surgery

Knee replacement surgery is an operation to treat knee pain. The procedure involves removing damaged parts of your knee joint and replacing them with artificial elements, also known as implants or a prosthesis.

Knee replacement surgery helps restore function to your knee and reduce or even eliminate knee pain, significantly improving your quality of life. Usually, knee replacement surgery is recommended when non-invasive treatments, such as steroid injection therapy or physiotherapy, have not helped to reduce your knee pain.

Robotics-assisted knee replacement surgery is when your surgeon uses robotic technology to help them perform knee surgery, allowing them to be more precise and accurate. This can offer a range of benefits, including less pain and a faster recovery.

If you're suffering with knee pain, you've landed in the right place. Knee replacement surgery can significantly reduce your knee pain and improve your quality of life. Whether you have traditional or robotic knee replacement surgery, your new knee could last up to 25 years - or even more in some cases.

This page focuses specifically on robotics-assisted knee replacement surgery using MAKO®. You'll also find lots of relevant information on our specific page about total knee replacement surgery.

There are various injuries and conditions that can cause chronic knee pain, which might mean you need knee replacement surgery. These include:

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is when the smooth cartilage that protects your joint surface deteriorates over time. As well as pain, it can also cause swelling and tenderness in your knee joint.

It is important to remember that arthritis symptoms affect everyone differently. Some people suffer severe pain as a result of osteoarthritis and struggle to perform everyday activities, making life challenging. Other people find that their symptoms are less severe and do not occur as regularly.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects more than 400,000 people in the UK. It is an inflammatory joint condition caused by an autoimmune process that makes your body mistakenly attack its healthy cells. This often causes chronic joint pain and deterioration. Joints affected by RA are usually surrounded by inflamed tissue.

Post-traumatic knee arthritis (kneecap traumatic arthritis)

A broken kneecap (which is also known as a patellar fracture) happens when the small bone at the front of your knee breaks. It is usually caused by a traumatic knee injury during sport and can lead to kneecap arthritis.

Septic arthritis

This is a much less common form of arthritis. It's a severe joint infection that can be caused by a traumatic injury to your joint, including a bite or wound. It can also happen as the result of an infection following surgery. Septic arthritis requires immediate medical attention. The damage caused by septic arthritis can lead to the need for knee replacement surgery.

Symptoms that indicate you might need knee replacement surgery

Not everyone with knee pain needs a knee replacement operation, but there are some common symptoms that indicate you might need a knee joint replacement, including:  

• Persistent knee pain that limits your movement
• A change in the appearance of your knee
• Knee pain when bending down
• Knee pain while exercising
• Knee pain during sex
• Severe knee stiffness
• Knee pain when walking
• Knee pain at night
• An inability to support your body weight on one leg
• Limited relief from other forms of treatment you've tried

The Mako® surgical system is an innovative robotic tool that allows your consultant to perform knee replacement surgery with greater accuracy and precision than is possible with traditional techniques.

What is a robotic knee replacement?

The idea of ‘robot surgery’ may sound daunting, but a robotic total knee replacement is still carried out by orthopaedic surgeons. The technology is there to aid doctors – not replace them – and is still guided by their hands.

In the case of knee replacement surgery, the technology allows for more accuracy and precision than traditional methods. Mako® is a robotic arm that works in tandem with your surgeon, combining innovative technology with the skills and expertise of your consultant. The system also uses a CT scan to build a customised 3D digital model of your knee to determine the right size and shape of implant for you.

At Circle Health Group, our consultant orthopaedic surgeons use the Mako® robotic system because it offers patients a faster recovery time from knee replacement surgery, as well as long lasting results.

There are various benefits to robotic-arm assisted knee replacement surgery with Mako®. These can include:

Less time in the hospital

You could be back in your own home faster with Mako®.

Reduced damage to healthy tissue and ligaments

Mako® creates a virtual boundary for your surgeon to use during the procedure.

By following this, they can be more precise in their removal of bone and cartilage, avoiding damage to the healthy parts of your knee.

A better-feeling, better-functioning knee

Studies show that robotic-arm assisted knee replacement surgery leads to better functional outcomes.

People who have had robotic-arm assisted knee replacements have found their new joints more natural-feeling and have been more satisfied overall.

Reduced risk of complications

Choosing Mako® could reduce your risk of post-surgical complications including dislocation and misalignment.

Mr Martin Mitchell, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Albyn Hospital, shares his advice on the benefits of robotics-assisted surgery. Mr Mitchell is fully certified to perform both hip and knee replacements using the Mako® system. He says:

"I would absolutely recommend this technology to my patients or family members. Mako® allows us to perform joint replacements with more accuracy than with conventional techniques. This should reduce complication rates, and I believe it will help to improve the lifespan of the joint replacement."

Every individual’s knee replacement recovery time looks slightly different. It will be affected by factors including:

• How active you were before having knee replacement surgery
• Your usual everyday activities
• The nature of your job (i.e. whether you have an active job or a desk job)
• Your age

A robotic knee replacement recovery timeline will look slightly different to a traditional knee replacement recovery timeline. Your orthopaedic surgeon will understand your personal circumstances and health better and be able to advise what your personal knee surgery recovery timeline looks like.

You can find more details on our knee replacement surgery page.

Complications can occur during any surgery. Potential complication during any surgical procedure include:  

• Pain
• Infection in the surgical wound
• Excessive bleeding
• Scarring
• Blood clotting
• Chest infection
• Heart attack
• Stroke

Specific complications that can occur during a knee replacement surgery (traditional and robotics-assisted surgery) include:  

• Pain
• Swelling
• Stiffness
• Fracture
• Damage to your nerves
• Damage to blood vessels
• Infection in your knee