St. Bernards Healthcare has recently incorporated two technologies, including robotic equipment and an app, to improve the joint replacement process for orthopedic patients before, during and following surgery. The technologies, developed by Zimmer Biomet, create more accurate and efficient replacement procedures as well as better communication between patients and orthopedic surgeons.
The first equipment, called the ROSA® Robotic Knee System, allows orthopedic surgeons to perform more accurate and less invasive knee procedures, giving patients improved successes and recovery times.
Jonesboro Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine (JOSM) orthopedic surgeon Dr. Brian Dickson uses the ROSA Robotic Knee System in conjunction with St. Bernards. He said robotic technology has rapidly gained support from physicians the past several years.
“The goal of robotics in orthopedics is to improve our ability to accurately replace knees with implants,” Dr. Dickson said. “The robotic technology can help us make more precise cuts while improving the potential for better patient outcomes because of the improved stability of the knees and soft tissue balancing.”
Dr. Dickson said the ROSA Robotic Knee System simply improves upon the standard guides that orthopedic surgeons have used for years.
“The robotic technology can improve our accuracy significantly,” Dr. Dickson said. “Now we can make bone cuts as small as a half millimeter and make any needed changes to a half degree.”
Connie Hill, St. Bernards Vice President of Surgical services and HeartCare and Cancer Centers, said the ROSA Robotic Knee System gives providers and their patients an advantage over others not using the technology.
“The robotic technology does not provide a substitute for having a specially-trained surgeon in place,” Hill said, “but it does make that surgeon more accurate without experiencing the physical rigors of performing an invasive procedure like a knee replacement. In the end, both surgeons and patients see huge benefits, and I anticipate we’ll see more patients requesting their surgeons use ROSA.”
The second technology, an app called mymobility®, works through the Apple Watch® wearable device, acting as a surgical companion for patients before and after hip or knee joint replacement surgery. The mymobility app allows surgeons to send education and therapy reminders directly to patients’ iPhone® and Apple Watch devices. The app also lets surgeons monitor patient activity levels throughout the days and weeks that patients prepare for and recover from surgery. By delivering procedure-specific information at the appropriate time, mymobility gives patients the ability to understand their conditions and take active roles in their care.
Hill said mymobility can make the decision to have an elective procedure, such as total joint replacement, easier since patients know their care extends beyond their procedures and appointments.
“We recognize the decision to have joint replacement surgery is often a difficult one for patients and their families caring for them,” she said. “We believe these supportive digital health technologies have the potential to make it an easier one moving forward.”
More information about the ROSA Robotic Knee System and the mymobility app is found at their manufacturer’s site, Zimmer Biomet, located at https://www.zimmerbiomet.com/medical-professionals/knee/product/rosa-knee-system.html and https://www.zimmerbiomet.com/medical-professionals/zb-connect/mymobility.html, respectively.