What is Knee Replacement Surgery?
Knee replacement surgery involves the use of artificial implants to replace damaged bones and cartilage in the knee joint. The aim of surgery is to relieve pain and restore knee function.
If a knee implant is not well-aligned or does not match your anatomy, it may be associated with complications such as:
- Loosening of the implant
- Fracture and wear
- Dislocation
Visionaire Patient Match Technology
Visionaire is an advanced surgical technology for a joint replacement that is based on the patient’s specific anatomy. Surgical instruments are designed according to X-ray, MRI or CT scan images of your knee joint. This includes cutting guides that specify where exactly the bone needs to be cut so that the implant can be precisely positioned. Proper placement of the implant results in better knee function and a longer-lasting knee replacement.
Procedure for Visionaire Knee Replacement
The cutting guides for your knee replacement are prepared in the following manner:
- Three-dimensional imaging of the knee is obtained by CT scan or MRI.
- The position and alignment of the knee are determined.
- A surgical plan is prepared to depend on the size and shape of the implant and your doctor’s preferences.
- Surgical blocks with cutting guides are prepared by engineers based on the surgical plan and the blocks are then sent to your surgeon.
- Two blocks are usually designed which go over the femur and tibia in the knee joint that guides cutting or the placement of pins in these bones.
It takes about 3 to 6 weeks following the initial imaging studies to prepare the cutting guides for your surgeon to perform the surgery.
Benefits of Visionaire Knee Replacement
This customized system of knee replacement has many advantages over the traditional knee replacement technique including:
- Decreased instrumentation
- Increased precision
- Improved alignment
- Reduced operating time
- Minimal bone removal
- Reduced bleeding
- Reduced postoperative pain
- Shorter recovery time
- Reduced risk of infection
