Robotic Guidance Arm Assists Knee Replacement Surgery

A new robotic guidance arm helps surgeons precisely place an implant in unicompartmental knee surgery, also known as partial knee resurfacing.

The Sculptor Robotic Guidance Arm (RGA) assists the surgeon's operation of a cutting burr, limiting the procedure to a safe area so that bone is only removed corresponding to the implant's planned position, as determined both pre- and intraoperatively. A second mechanical tracking arm is attached to the bone that is being sculpted to accurately track the location of the patient, providing real time dynamic referencing relative to both the position of the robotic arm and the surgical plan. The surgeon-controlled system includes an interactive touch screen used throughout the procedure.


The system is based on patent-protected Active Constraint technology, which essentially creates a safety perimeter around the knee, beyond which the cutting tool is not allowed to travel, defining an actual volume of space within which the burr can be used. The robotic arm can consistently and accurately enable the positioning of a prosthetic implant according to a surgical plan within 2° of the desired orientation, versus 40% for conventionally implanted prosthetics.

By combining Sculptor RGA technology with patient specific partial knee implants, surgeons can provide a bone conserving solution that is personalized for each case, is affordable, and offers clinical benefits and cost effectiveness when compared current treatment options such as saws and jigs, which are prone to a much higher degree of placement error. The Sculptor (RGA) system is a product of Stanmore Implants (Borehamwood, United Kingdom), and has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Robotic technology represents a major advance in orthopedics, providing accurate placement that is critical to implant longevity and reproducibility along with tangible cost benefits, making access to robotic surgery more widely available to patients,” said Brian Steer, Executive Chairman of Stanmore Implants. “Stanmore is now looking forward to working further with surgeons to continue to develop innovative solutions for the global orthopedic market.”

Related Links:
Stanmore Implants