Precision in Motion: Exploring the Advantages of Robotic Partial Knee Replacements

Author: Dr. Kyle Swanson

Knee pain can stem from many different causes, but it’s often linked to arthritis—an inflammation of the joint. This inflammation can affect any of the knee’s three main components: the inner (medial) side, outer (lateral) side, or the kneecap (patella). If you're struggling with knee pain, you’re not alone, and there are effective treatments to help you regain mobility and reduce discomfort.

When conservative treatments like physical therapy, medications, or lifestyle changes do not provide relief, your orthopedic physician may recommend a (knee) joint replacement surgery.

A knee replacement can either replace the entire joint or, in some cases, only a part of it. A partial knee replacement targets just the area affected by arthritis, leaving the surrounding healthy bone, tissue, and ligaments intact. This approach preserves your natural knee as much as possible while still providing relief.

Leading Technology at Barton Health

At Barton, we use the cutting-edge joint replacement technology, Mako SmartRobotics^TM, during our partial knee replacement, total knee replacement, and total hip replacement procedures.

With Mako, we combine robotic technology with personalized, pre-surgical planning to ensure a more accurate and predictable surgical experience. Here’s how it works:

1. Personalized Planning: Before the surgery, we use advanced medical imaging and 3D modeling to create a virtual model of your knee. This allows for a customized plan tailored to your specific anatomy.
2. Precision Execution: During your surgery, we reference the pre-surgical plan to more accurately remove the diseased bone and place the partial knee replacement implant. And real-time data from the surgeon allows the Mako system to make any needed adjustments to the surgical plan on the fly, if necessary.

As a result, the surgery is less invasive, causing:

• Less pain post-surgery
• Fewer complications compared to traditional methods
• Faster recovery times, getting you back on your feet sooner
• Smaller, less noticeable scars

The combination of technological advancements and personalized care makes robotic partial knee replacement surgery a good choice for many patients — talk to your orthopedic physician about your knee pain so you can get back to the activities you love.

Kyle Swanson, MD, FAAOS, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with Tahoe Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, specializing in joint replacement surgery. Dr. Swanson treats patients in South Lake Tahoe, Stateline, and Carson City. Call 530.543.5554 to learn more or schedule and appointment.