Traditionally, most total knee replacements were performed using a method called Mechanical Alignment. Using this method, the surgeon cuts every patient’s knee at the same angles. In other words, the bone cuts of the knee are intended to make every patient’s leg perfectly straight. This remains the most widely used approach for knee replacements locally and across the nation.
The trouble with this Mechanical Alignment approach is that no two patients are exactly the same preoperatively. We know from years of research and thousands of knee replacements that most patient’s legs are NOT perfectly straight. Many patients have a varus(bow-legged) alignment, while some have a valgus (knock-knee) alignment. A new approach, called Kinematic Alignment, looks to restore each patient’s natural pre-arthritic leg alignment and knee anatomy by customizing each knee replacement to the individual patient. There is now extensive medical literature which demonstrates that Kinematic Alignment produces higher patient satisfaction scores, faster recovery, better pain relief, and faster return of knee flexion than traditional/mechanically aligned total knee replacement.
Dr. Hart is the only Orthopaedic Surgeon in South Florida who utilizes Kinematic Alignment in all the total knees he performs, whether he uses manual instrumentation or robotic assistance. He loves watching his patients rapidly get off of their walkers and canes and get back to their full activities faster than ever before.
