Augmented Reality Used in Knee-Replacement Surgery
Data streamed through smart glasses allow for precise removal of bone and cartilage and accurate positioning of knee implants
By John McCormick at the WSJ PHOTO CREDIT: HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY
A surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York recently performed the first knee-replacement surgeries in the U.S. using augmented reality.
Jonathan Vigdorchik, M.D. , last month replaced the knees of two patients, who suffered severe arthritis in their knee joints, while using special glasses that enabled him to review crucial surgical data while performing the operations.
Augmented reality superimposes digital content, such as 3-D images or visual instructions, onto a user’s view of the real world through mobile devices and wearable headsets.
“At many time points during the operation it’s actually providing me information, making sure that my cuts are degree for degree, millimeter for millimeter, accurate,” Dr. Vigdorchik said.
