An overview of Patient Specific Technology for total knee replacement surgery in Adelaide, South Australia — how pre-operative 3D scanning and custom instruments work together to achieve accurate, personalised knee alignment.
Walk Away from Knee Pain
Don't let knee pain stop you from living the life you want. Total knee replacement surgery, when performed with the right technology and technique, can restore your ability to walk, exercise, and live without the constant burden of arthritic knee pain.
Dr Chien-Wen Liew uses Patient Specific Technology with kinematic alignment for every total knee replacement he performs at Orthopaedics 360, Eastwood Private Hospital, Adelaide.
How Technology Improves Accuracy
Accurate 3D scanning allows pre-operative planning to occur and modifications to be made before the operation has even begun. Technology identifies deformities and corrections that need to be made before surgery even starts.
Pre-operative CT creates a 3-dimensional image of the Hip, Knee, and Ankle alignment — allowing small adjustments to be made to align the knee in the optimum position. A kinematic alignment philosophy is used to match pre-arthritic angles, producing a knee that feels completely natural.
The Patient Specific Instruments — Step by Step
Your surgeon makes a full assessment of your knee, measuring deformity, range of movement, and the Hip-Knee-Ankle axis. After careful discussion, X-rays are taken to confirm you are a candidate for total knee replacement.
A specially formatted 3D CT scan is then performed, mapping the alignment of the Hip, Knee, and Ankle axis in all planes. This information is transmitted to Switzerland where Dr Liew reviews the information and performs the surgery in virtual space, enabling small adjustments to be made before any incision.
After planning is completed, Patient Specific Instruments are created — custom fitted for you only. These are sterilised and sent along with millimetre-perfect models of your actual knee for use during surgery. No rods are inserted into your femur or tibia during the actual procedure.
Patient Specific vs Conventional Methods
The traditional method inserts rods into the femur and tibia to judge approximate alignment of bone cuts. Using Patient Specific Technology, the rods are not required — the exact angles have been pre-determined and customised jigs are placed onto the knee to make the cuts.
Both methods perform well, and it is up to each patient and surgeon to discuss the best option. All patients are encouraged to seek multiple opinions from previous patients, doctors, and friends when deciding on their knee replacement.
About Dr Liew
Dr Chien-Wen Liew has trained locally and internationally in Patient Specific Technology for Total Knee Replacement Surgery. He has a special interest in improving the alignment of total knee replacement surgery and strives to achieve excellent results through pre-operative planning and 3D scanning technology.
Dr Liew consults from Orthopaedics 360 at Eastwood Private Hospital, and operates at Calvary Adelaide and Eastwood Private Hospitals. To make an appointment: (08) 7077 0158.
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