MAKO Surgical Rolls Out Robotic System for Hip Replacement

MAKO Surgical Corp. is now offering its RIO Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System for use in total hip replacement procedures.

MAKOplasty—which is what the company dubs its arthroplasty procedures—for the hip is the newest application for MAKO’s RIO system and builds om five years of experience with the company’s partial knee resurfacing procedure for patients with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis. The MAKOplasty his system was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February 2010.

MAKO’s total hip replacement application is designed to help surgeons more accurately align and position implants, which—according to the company—may reduce potential complications associated with conventional hip replacement surgery. MAKOplasty Total Hip Arthroplasty provides a surgeon with a pre-operative 3-D reconstruction of the patient’s hip and is used to develop the patient-specific surgical plan. The robotic-arm then assists the surgeon during the procedure to accurately prepare the joint and optimally place hip implants.

Lawrence Dorr, M.D., founder and medical director of The Dorr Arthritis Institute in Los Angeles, Calif., said the system provides a “a significant advantage.”

“It provides quantitative knowledge for what were difficult judgment decisions inherent in manually performed operations,” he said. “When I finish a hip replacement I no longer am anxious to see the X-ray because I know I’ve got the implants, leg length and offset correct. It makes recovery easier for patients, including their comfort, activities and protection from dislocation. This robotic guided operation is better for both me and my patients.”

According to Rick Wise, an industry analyst with Boston, Mass.-based Leerink Swann, MAKO’s new hip application should open “a significant new market opportunity” for the company. Wise pegs the worldwide hip market as worth $5 billion-$6 billion.

A recently study published by Massachusetts General Hospital study reported that, over a sustained period of study of 1,823 hips, only 50 percent of acetabular cups (cup-shaped sockets of the hip joint) were positioned in the acceptable range. Poorly positioned acetabular cups in can lead to impingement, which may cause dislocation fracture, and increased implant wear. Nearly 300,000 primary hip replacement surgeries are performed annually in the United States using conventional techniques, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

According to a June 2011 survey conducted by Harris Interactive, six out of 10 adults ages older than 40 years of age are afraid they will lose their ability to walk and/or move around without pain. Nearly nine out of 10 survey respondents thought that hip replacement returns independence and believe it can restore a better quality of life.

Approximately 10 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip, or the wearing away of the cartilage that cushions the bones of the hips, causing hip pain and stiffness, which can affect mobility, including walking and bending. Hip OA is the most common cause of hip
replacement surgery.

MAKO Surgical Corp., is based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.. The firm markets its RIO Robotic-Arm Interactive Orthopedic system and its proprietary RESTORIS implants for orthopedic knee and hip procedures.