Have You Considered the Mako Technology Options for Knee Surgery?
MemorialCare offers Mako™ Partial Knee — an innovative treatment option designed to relieve the pain caused by joint degeneration due to osteoarthritis. By selectively targeting the part of the knee damaged by osteoarthritis, our surgeon can resurface your knee while sparing the healthy bone and ligaments surrounding it.
Using the innovative Mako treatment, surgeons can perform a total knee replacement or partial knee resurfacing, selectively targetting parts of the knee damaged by osteoarthritis while sparing any healthy bone and ligaments.
If your surgeon recommends a Mako assisted surgery, she or he will refer you for a CT-scan of the knee joint. The CT-scan will be uploaded into the Mako System software, where a 3D model of your knee will be created. This 3D model is used to create a personalized pre-operative plan and to assist the surgeon during your procedure.
Who Would be a Good Candidate for the Mako Partial Knee Procedure?
Typically, Mako Patients Share the Following Characteristics:
- Knee pain with activity, usually on the inner knee and/or under the knee cap
- Startup knee pain or stiffness when activities are initiated from a sitting position
- Failure to respond to non-surgical treatments or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication
What are the Benefits of the Mako Partial Knee Procedure?
Unlike other more invasive procedures, Mako can often be performed through a four to six-inch incision over your knee with small incisions in both your femur and tibia.
The preservation of your own natural bone and tissue along with precision positioning of an implant may also result in a more natural feeling knee. Since healthy bone is preserved, patients who undergo Mako Partial Knee procedures may still be a candidate for a total knee replacement procedure later in life, if necessary.
Other benefits of Mako include:
- Less implant wear and loosening
- Options of Joint resurfacing
- Bone sparing
- Smaller incision
- Less scarring
- Reduced blood loss
- Minimal hospitalization
Your physician should discuss the specific risks associated with Mako and other treatment options with you. In addition, you should be informed of any pre-operative and post-operative instructions by your surgeon or their staff.
As a knee arthroplasty procedure, Mako is typically covered by Medicare and most other insurance plans. Check with your health insurer. In some cases, it may be performed on an outpatient basis depending on what your Mako-certified surgeon determines is the right course of treatment for you.