Consultant, Orthopaedics & Joint Replacement, Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon
Part 3 of 12 in Spectrum of Orthopaedic Disorder - Evaluation and Management
How Robotic and Computer-Navigated Systems Are Used in Joint Replacement
September 6, 2026
Two technologies came up repeatedly across Dr. Rohit Lamba's case review at his Jivo Masterclass session: a computer navigation system and a robotic system, both used to make joint replacement more precise in difficult cases.
What computer navigation adds during surgery
A computer navigation system tracks the alignment of the joint in real time during surgery, showing how much bone needs to be cut and how the implant should be positioned. It works by registering specific landmarks on the knee at the start of the operation, then using that data throughout the procedure to guide the surgeon toward the best possible alignment and implant position.
How the robotic system plans surgery before it begins
The robotic system Dr. Lamba uses, a Stryker Mako system, goes a step further. A CT scan of the knee is taken before surgery and fed into the system, which plans exactly how the bone should be cut and where the implant should sit before the operation starts. During surgery, the robotic arm carries out the major part of the bone-cutting itself, guided by that plan.
When these systems make the biggest difference
Both technologies matter most in cases that standard instruments cannot handle: for example, a knee with severe arthritis and an old fracture just above the joint, where the bone had healed at the wrong angle and blocked the normal alignment guides used in conventional surgery. In that case, Dr. Lamba was able to complete the reconstruction with basic implants and no special hardware, purely because the robotic system let him work around the bone's abnormal shape.
This article is based on a Jivo Masterclass session conducted by Dr. Rohit Lamba, Consultant, Orthopaedics & Joint Replacement, Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon. The article has been summarised with the assistance of an AI tool from the original masterclass recording. Watch the full Masterclass recording
This guide is based on a live Jivo Masterclass: Dr. Rohit Lamba taught doctors across Africa on April 6, 2025.
FROM THE LIVE Q&A
Moderator
Which group of patients is hip replacement surgery indicated for?
Dr. Rohit Lamba
Dr. Lamba outlined four categories. The first is congenital deformity, such as developmental dysplasia of the hip, where the hip is out of the socket from birth. The second is a childhood infection, Perthes disease, or a slipped epiphysis that reshapes the hip and leads to arthritis later in life. The third is avascular necrosis that has reached an advanced, arthritic stage in early adulthood. The fourth is a hip fracture that has not united properly, healing in a poor position that causes arthritis and pain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a definitive treatment for arthritis?▼
Dr. Lamba answered on the assumption the question was about rheumatoid arthritis, since a network issue had cut off part of the question. In the early stage, before the cartilage is damaged, it can be managed well with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs); cases that do not respond well can move to biological disease-modifying drugs, but only after full evaluation by an orthopaedic surgeon or rheumatologist. Once the cartilage is already damaged, the definitive treatment is hip replacement, and with current implants a patient can expect to stay pain-free and active for the next 30 to 35 years.
Which group of patients is hip replacement surgery indicated for?▼
Dr. Lamba outlined four categories. The first is congenital deformity, such as developmental dysplasia of the hip, where the hip is out of the socket from birth. The second is a childhood infection, Perthes disease, or a slipped epiphysis that reshapes the hip and leads to arthritis later in life. The third is avascular necrosis that has reached an advanced, arthritic stage in early adulthood. The fourth is a hip fracture that has not united properly, healing in a poor position that causes arthritis and pain.
What does computer navigation do during knee or hip replacement?▼
It tracks the alignment of the joint in real time, showing how much bone needs to be cut and how the implant should be positioned, using landmarks registered on the joint at the start of surgery.
How does the robotic system plan surgery in advance?▼
A CT scan of the joint is taken before surgery and used to plan the bone cuts and implant position ahead of time; the robotic arm then carries out the major part of the bone-cutting during the operation.
When does robotic surgery make the biggest difference?▼
It matters most in cases standard instruments cannot handle, such as a knee with an old, poorly healed fracture near the joint that blocks normal alignment guides.
In This Series: Spectrum of Orthopaedic Disorder - Evaluation and Management
- 1.Spectrum of Orthopaedic Disorders
- 2.Understanding the Main Causes of Knee Arthritis
- 3.How Robotic and Computer-Navigated Systems Are Used in Joint Replacement
- 4.Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip: Treating a Childhood Hip Problem
- 5.Perthes Disease: When Childhood Hip Damage Surfaces Years Later
- 6.Avascular Necrosis of the Hip: Causes, Stages and Treatment
- 7.Hip Replacement and Sickle Cell Disease: Why Blood Transfusion Comes First
- 8.When Is Hip Replacement the Right Treatment?
- 9.ACL and Ligament Reconstruction: Grafts and When Surgery Is Needed
- 10.Treating Fracture Non-Union and Bone Infection with External Fixators
- 11.Reconstructing Severe Trauma: Distraction Osteogenesis for Bone and Limb Loss
- 12.Vitamin D Deficiency in Children: When Rickets Requires Corrective Knee Surgery