Robotic total hip replacement surgery in dogs

Approximately half of over 120,000 total hip replacement operations performed annually in the United States use cementless implants. The standard method for preparing the femoral cavity for such implants improves the use of a mallet-driven handheld broach whose shape matches that of the desired implant. In vitro experiments have supported the possibility that more accurate (and efficacious) results can be achieved by using a robot to machine the cavity. The authors are developing a second-generation system suitable for use in an operating room, targeted at clinical trials on dogs needing hip implants. A description is given of the background, objectives, architecture, and surgical procedure for this system. Also provided are brief descriptions of key results from earlier experiments and planned future work.