The hip is one of your body’s largest weight-bearing joints. The hip is called a ball-and-socket joint because the round ball-shaped head of the thighbone (femur) moves inside the cup-shaped hollow socket (acetabulum) of the pelvis. These bones are covered by cartilage, a layer of strong tissue that cushions the bones allows for smooth, easy movement of the joint.

Degenerative joint disease (DJD) can cause a loss of cartilage, resulting in bone-on-bone contact that may result in pain, swelling, and stiffness. These are different types of DJD that may cause hip pain. These include but are not limited to:

• Osteoarthritis (OA), also called “wear-and-tear arthritis,” in which cartilage wears down over time, is the most common type of hip arthritis
• Post-traumatic arthritis, which results from a severe fracture or dislocation of the hip
• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an inflammation arthritis of the joints
• Avascular necrosis (AVN), a condition where the “ball” or femoral head has lost a healthy supply of blood flow, causing the bone to die and the femoral head to become misshapen
• Hip dysplasia, a condition in which bones around the hip did not form properly, which may cause misalignment of the hip joint

If you are one of the millions of Americans suffering from hip pain from degenerative joint disease, you may be a candidate for MAKOplasty total hip arthroplasty, also known as MAKOplasty total hip replacement.

What is MAKOplasty total hip replacement?

MAKOplasty is an innovative, breakthrough solution for those suffering with painful DJD of the hip and need a total hip replacement. MAKOplasty, powered by RIO Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System, allows your surgeon to treat your specific hip condition with accuracy and precision.

How does MAKOplasty work?

If your surgeon determines that you are a good candidate for the MAKOplasty procedure, prior to your surgery date you will have a hip CT scan performed. This is used to create a 3-D model of your hip, pelvis and femur. The surgeon uses RIO software with information from the model to plan your surgery based on your unique anatomy. During surgery, the software provides real-time information to optimize implant positioning and alignment, and the robotic arm is used to prepare our socket and guide accurate placement of the implants. This can be difficult to achieve using traditional surgical techniques without the robotic arm system.

How MAKOplasty can help?

In total hip replacement procedures, the accurate placement and alignment of implant components are critical factors. MAKOplasty total hip, powered by the surgeon-controlled RIO Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System, provides a new level of accuracy and precision in total hip replacement.

MAKOplasty benefits may include:

Accurate placement of your hip implant using the surgeon-controlled robotic arm system, which can reduce the likelihood of the hip dislocation

More consistency in leg length, potentially decreasing the need for a shoe lift

Decreased risk of the implant/implant and bone/implant impingement (abnormal rubbing together)- may improve the lifetime of the hip replacement

Who is a good candidate for the MAKOplasty total hip procedure?

If you have one or more of the following symptoms, talk to your doctor – you may be a candidate for MAKOplasty.

• Pain while putting weight on the affected joints
• Limping to lessen the weight-bearing pressure on the hip
• Hip pain or stiffness during walking or other impact activities
• Failure to respond to non-surgical treatments or pain medication

Be sure to discuss all treatment options with your doctor.