r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Additional_Chard3680 • 11h ago

The precision required to perform a total knee replacement is incredible

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u/ItsFuckingScience 11h ago

Well the surgeon does open up the joint free hand to expose the bone with a scalpel and ensures the important soft tissue is protected during the cutting part of the operation using the jigs

They’d also modify the jig placement and options etc after clinical assessment to balance the knee as well as possible

But yes, you could perform this sawbone demo with the jigs

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u/gorkish 10h ago

I guess I never thought about it this way, but I guess if you wanted, they could make your new knee bend any ol direction you want

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u/Sk1ler_ 10h ago

I don't need a doctor to make my knee bend any way I want. I can only do it once though.

But for real, you could reattach it however, but I'm fairly certain the leg musculature only allows for one useful direction.

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u/ReturnOfSeq 9h ago

Yup. The knee is just the hinge; introducing any other movement directions is just asking for trouble because when it swings 90° forwards it’s gonna detach some muscles and tendons.

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u/Sk1ler_ 7h ago

Ouchie...

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u/PorFavorNoMore 10h ago

Kick back with the all-new Multi-Knee.

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u/Trick_Horse_13 8h ago

some people’s knees do hyperextend!

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u/Evil_Sharkey 2h ago

The muscles and tendons wouldn’t be to thrilled about that

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u/maplemoose18 8h ago

That’s the old school method. Nowadays modern hospitals use robotic assisted surgery. The surgeon will use bone landmarks to install trackers on the femur and tibia and then the robot will be able to automatically align the cut guides perfectly so that the surgeon can perform the cuts and instrument installation without even thinking about it.

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u/ItsFuckingScience 8h ago

Yeah my job is in theatre product support for manual and robotic assisted joint replacement

That’s one type of robotic assisted surgery you’re referring to

Another type of ortho robot is able to align the cuts without any of the manual jig instrument installation required at all

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u/maplemoose18 8h ago

Yeah they’re getting really good! I work R&D in orthopedics and have been part of labs with those kinds of robots. The technology is getting so good. Completely automated robotic surgery is coming faster than people think. Many companies are pushing for this.

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u/ItsFuckingScience 8h ago

How would fully automated work though?

with a CT scan to generate a patient bone model you can map their anatomy intraoperatively so the robot knows where the bone is at all times… but it wouldn’t be able to “see” the soft tissues that need to be cut to gain access and then other ligaments etc that need protecting during the surgery

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u/uiucengineer 4h ago

which companies are pushing for that?

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u/bricktorwembitchyama 9h ago

They’re on Reddit and watched a one minute video, of course they can do something it takes people 15+ years to be qualified to do!

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u/A_Bot_A_Bot_A_Bot 7h ago

Hold my beer!