What is navigation in knee surgery, and why do I use it?

No, I’m not talking about navigation with a car — I’m talking about AR navigation during knee surgery. So what is this fancy headset I'm wearing during your knee operation and why am I using it? Let’s break it down.

What is navigation in knee surgery?

Navigation, simply put, is a type of technology which allows surgeons to be more accurate with placement of implants. There are numerous types of navigation but a couple broad categories are robot-assisted and computer-assisted.

Computer-assisted navigation is augmented reality. This technology uses cameras on a wearable headset and reusable trackers to help guide accurate and precise placement of the patients components. I use ARVIS, which stands for Augmented Reality Visualization and Information System.

So why use it?

I am a big believer in patient-specific customization. Two patients can have the same injury or disease, and the treatment can be slightly different, altered to be the best fit for what they need. In this case, when surgically replacing someone’s knee, depending on what their anatomy and alignment looks like, they may require slight alterations. We have scientific evidence (see paper link) that navigation helps us to be more precise, and therefore allows an individualized surgical plan that is customized to each patient. Long term, it still remains to be seen if this tool will drastically change patient outcomes, mostly because most patients who undergo a total knee replacement generally do very well already. However, this will lead to subtle yet important differences for some patients when it comes to pain, function and overall satisfaction with their new knee!

Warning: images from surgery included below. They are graphic in nature.

Want to learn more, or see ARVIS in action? See this Apple Valley News video segment, where I walk their reporter through augmented reality and how it works in surgery.