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t m c ยป p u l s e | s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7 36 36 A 3-D image of the patient's knee helps Freedhand before and during surgery. A Robotic Arm Assist Technology helps surgeon optimize total knee replacements B y C h r i s t i n e H a l l Solutions: TMC Innovations T otal knee replacements help patients regain their ability to move spontaneously and actively. More than 600,000 total knee replacement sur- geries are performed each year in the United States. By 2030, that number is expected to exceed 3 million, according to research published in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. Yet orthopedic research studies have found that 20 percent of patients are not satisfied with their knee replacements. Much of that dissatisfaction has to do with increased pain and a decreased range of motion. Some patients are unable to achieve satisfactory motion despite physical therapy. Others may complain that the knee feels unnatural, or that they lack confi- dence in their leg. Adam Freedhand, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon affiliated with Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), began using the Stryker Mako robot for partial knee replacements Adam Freedhand, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon affiliated with Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center and UTHealth, uses the Mako robot during total knee replacement surgery.