Many people don't spend a lot of time thinking about their knees, but these joints are vital to your every day activities. Since knees often go through a lot of wear and tear over the years, it is not uncommon for a person to require a knee replacement at some point in his or her life. Traditional knee replacement surgery has been around for years, but more and more surgeons are turning to MAKOplasty, a robotic partial knee resurfacing technique. This new medical technology has a number of benefits, including:

Minimally Invasive Procedure

MAKOplasty is a cutting edge technique which involves a patient getting a CT-scan of the knee- these images will be used to make a 3-D model of your knee, and then your surgeon will use a robotic arm to resurface your knee. After diseased bone spurs and cartilage are removed, an implant is inserted. The knee implant used for a MAKOplasty procedure is custom made based on your CT-scans. MAKOplasty typically results in a smaller incision, less blood loss, and less scaring than a traditional knee replacement.

Faster Recovery Time

Spending time in the hospital is never fun. If you get knee replacement surgery, you can plan on spending between 3 to 7 days as a patient in the hospital, but if you're a good candidate for MAKOplasty you will most likely be discharged in just 1-2 days. The overall recovery time for MAKOplasty is typically a lot shorter as well; a traditional knee replacement surgery has a recovery time of 6-8 weeks compared to just 2 weeks for patients who undergo MAKOplasty.

Less Physical Therapy

MAKOplasty is still a surgical procedure, so physical therapy will still be needed to help strengthen the knee that was operated on. But due to the nature of the surgical technique and the fast recovery time for the procedure, the physical therapy requirements are usually less than other types of orthopedic surgeries. Before you are discharged from the hospital following your MAKOplasty procedure your doctor, like those at Noyes Knee Institute, will let you know how much physical therapy you may need, and make referrals to the appropriate therapist.

More Natural Feeling Knee After Surgery

In addition to a faster recovery and less invasive procedure, MAKOplasty is also unique in the fact that the implants used are specifically made for each patient based on the 3-D model of the knee that is made from your CT-scans. Since the implant is designed to perfectly fit your knee, there is a much better chance that your knee will feel more natural after surgery compared to one size fits all implants used in many traditional knee surgeries.