Cleveland Clinic has become one of the first U.S. centers to perform revision hip arthroplasty using robotic assistance, marking only the second such procedure nationally with a CT-based robotic-arm system (Mako SmartRobotics). Although robotic platforms are routinely used for primary joint replacement, their application in revision hip surgery has only recently become feasible due to advances in imaging and periprosthetic registration. According to orthopaedic surgeon Peter Surace, MD, the new system can accurately interpret CT scans containing existing implants, accounting for femoral stems, acetabular components, and surrounding periprosthetic bone with high fidelity.

Robot-assisted revision provides significant advantages over conventional methods. Traditional revision relies heavily on manual reaming, tactile assessment, and intraoperative estimation of cup placement, screw trajectory, and leg length. In contrast, the robotic platform enables comprehensive preoperative 3D planning based on patient-specific anatomy. Surgeons can predetermine component positioning, screw length and orientation, and the need for acetabular augments, reducing uncertainty and improving accuracy. While femoral reaming remains manual, the system enhances stem selection and provides precise intraoperative measurements.

Adapted from Cleveland Clinic reporting.