Potentially Game-Changing TKA System Has 1st Surgery

Augmented reality and intelligent systems continue to march into orthopedic operating rooms. The latest comes from Swiss-based Medacta International. Brand named NextAR™ TKA, the system was used in its first clinical case and received high ratings.

This system from Medacta deploys an innovative infrared single-use tracking system which, according to the company, is assembled swiftly and delivers to the surgeon accurate information and intelligence, real time, during surgery while, simultaneously, enhancing OR efficiency.

The surgery, performed in Queensland by Dr. Michael McAuliffe (MBBS FRACS) at St Andrew’s Ipswich Private Hospital, follows on the heels of the approval from Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration. Per the press release, “Dr. McAuliffe is a member of the expert surgeon panel that Medacta collaborated with to develop the NextAR TKA Application.”

According to the manufacturer’s CEO, Francesco Siccardi, the NextAR total knee arthroplasty system is a potential game changer. “I am very proud of this successful first surgery with our new NextAR TKA. I’d like to thank all the NextAR Development Team, surgeons and engineers that made this vision become a fantastic product in such a short period of time. The feedback we are receiving is very positive and I am confident that it will be a game-changer in the years to come. We look forward to extending this technology to spine, shoulder, and hip procedures, with the goal of improving the experience of orthopaedic surgeons and their patients with a very competitive and sustainable healthcare solution.”

According to Dr. McAuliffe, the surgeon who performed this inaugural implant “…the NextAR Surgical System offers a rapid, intuitive and user-friendly assessment of the patient’s bony anatomy, and most importantly, the soft tissues of the knee joint. Understanding both these facets allows for better personalization of the knee surgery and is likely to significantly improve patient outcomes.”

Medacta, describes its new total knee system as being “…designed with the goal to improve efficiency and precision in total knee replacement and support personalized surgery, the NextAR TKA is an augmented reality-based surgical platform for total knee replacement. This innovative platform, involving augmented reality glasses and a revolutionary infrared single-use tracking system, requires low upfront capital investment by clinics and hospitals, with significant economic benefits to the healthcare system…”

So why is this technology so intuitive?

“There are various reasons which make the use of this technology intuitive.” explained Siccardi, “With the augmented reality glasses, surgeons are able to visualize quantitative information and anticipate the effects of their surgical actions in real-time, without ever averting their gaze from the operative field, and so keeping their focus on the patient at all times. This is a crucial differentiator between the traditional computer-assisted or robotic-assisted surgical systems that require the surgeon to operate while looking at a screen and not at the operating field.”

“The visualized information keeps the surgeon in control of the most important variables in real-time. The 3D elongation of the ligaments throughout the range of motion and all the variables that influence the final result are shown in the same intuitive graphical interface that accompanies the surgeon throughout the procedure to help execute the planned strategy.”

And their plans over the next few months?

“The goal of Medacta’s technology is to continuously improve the experience of orthopaedic surgeons and their patients,” added Siccardi. “Healthcare sustainability is one of our key priorities and we want to ensure this innovative platform is available to a vast number of surgeons. This is why in the following months we will be working on the extension of this platform to spine, shoulder, and hip procedures as well.”