MAKOplasty Partial Knee Resurfacing


Holy Cross Health in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was the first in the world to offer MAKOplasty®, a minimally invasive partial knee resurfacing procedure used to treat early to mid-stage osteoarthritis of the knee. Now doctors at Holy Cross are utilizing the next generation of the robotic arm system by MAKO Surgical Corp.

We are the first hospital in Florida to offer patients multicompartmental knee resurfacing. We can now provide minimally invasive knee surgery to even more patients. The new MAKO RIO®robotic arm system allows our expert surgeons to keep as much of the original knee as possible, while the MAKO Restoris system restores natural knee function. So our patients can enjoy a faster recovery and get back to being their best. Previously, MAKOplasty® was only available to treat just the inside portion of the knee. The RIO® System now makes possible resurfacing of the medial, patella-femoral, or both components of the knee.

"Precision is key in planning and performing partial knee surgeries," says Dr. Martin Roche, Orthopedic Surgeon at the Holy Cross Orthopedic Institute. "For a good outcome, you need to align and position the implants just right. Precision in surgery, and in the pre-operative planning process, is what the RIO® System delivers. We are very excited to use the new RIO® and to be able to offer MAKOplasty® to a greater number of patients."

RIO® enables specific pre-operative surgical planning and modeling based on each patient's unique anatomy. During the MAKOplasty® procedure, the surgeon uses the robotic arm, which provides tactile, acoustic and visual feedback, to limit the bone preparation to the diseased areas and provide for optimal implant placement. The goal of this minimally invasive procedure is to restore the patient's natural knee motion with as little bone cutting and tissue trauma as possible, for a more natural feeling knee post operatively and a rapid recovery.

The opportunity for early intervention is important as osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and a leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

During the procedure, the diseased portion of the knee is resurfaced, sparing the patient’s healthy bone and surrounding tissue. An implant is then secured in the joint to allow the knee to move smoothly again. MAKOplasty® partial knee resurfacing can:

  • Facilitate ideal implant positioning to result in a more natural feeling knee following surgery
  • Result in a more rapid recovery and shorter hospital stay than traditional knee replacement surgery
  • Be performed on an outpatient basis
  • Promote rapid relief from pain and return to daily activities

As a knee arthroplasty procedure, MAKOplasty® is typically covered by most Medicare-approved and private health insurers.

See videos of Holy Cross surgeons discussing robotic surgery.

Contact a physician who performs minimally invasive robotic MAKOplasty® Partial Knee Resurfacing: