Curexo Technology's ROBODOC assists in first commercial hip replacement surgery

Curexo Technology Corporation made history on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 when its next-generation ROBODOC® Surgical System assisted Dr. William Bargar as he performed the first commercial hip replacement surgery on Warren Roberts of Davis, CA.  Mr. Roberts had his left hip replacement using this robotic device in 1995 as a part of an FDA study.  This recent surgery performed at Sutter General in Sacramento was for Mr. Roberts' right hip.  

Although Roberts' first hip replacement was performed 15 years ago, his left hip is still working well, demonstrating the longevity of the surgical procedure and implant. "It was like being born again," said 68-year-old Roberts of the first ROBODOC® surgery. "The years of pain fell away.  From day one of the surgery I was feeling great."  Mr. Roberts waited months to have his other hip done on ROBODOC.

When using the ROBODOC® Surgical System, the surgeon first plans the surgery on a computer workstation, called ORTHODOC®, using 3D data from a CT scan of the patient.  An exclusive open architecture enables the use of implants from almost any manufacturer.  The surgeon then plans the optimal implant location and orientation.  This "virtual surgery" is loaded on ROBODOC in the O.R. the day of surgery and provides precise "CAD/CAM" like execution of the surgeon's plan every time.  

The new ROBODOC Surgical System is the only "active" robotic system cleared by the FDA for orthopedic surgery and has been used in more than 24,000 successful procedures worldwide.

"ROBODOC is able to perform the surgery more precisely than the usual manual technique, and this is a tremendous asset for the patient," said Dr. Bargar. "We are always striving for more precision because it means better mechanics and performance for our patients."  Dr. Bargar, who is co-inventor and has two degrees in engineering, says, "It has been my passion to bring the precision of the engineering world to the practice of orthopedic surgery."

During conventional hip replacement surgery, the surgeon prepares the surfaces of the bone for the implant by hand. The surgeon uses hand tools that include broaches, mallets and power reamers, which do not always provide the desired fit and position of the implant.

During the actual surgery using ROBODOC®, the robot precisely mills the bone surfaces, ensuring the exact fit and position of the implant based on the pre-operative plan.  ROBODOC® assists the surgeon in assuring that the final bone preparation matches the pre-operative plan exactly.

With the ROBODOC® total joint replacement procedure, the surgeon maintains complete control of the robot as it executes the patient specific plan. The surgical results provided by ROBODOC® are exactly what have been planned. That's because the ROBODOC® Surgical System provides consistent reproducible precision in every procedure due to its unique active robotic technology.