Improving Knee Replacement Outcomes with Personalized Alignment Technique
Discover how personalized alignment and robotic-assisted knee replacement improve accuracy, comfort, and recovery for each patient at Vejthani International Hospital.
When osteoarthritis of the knee becomes a barrier to daily life, knee replacement surgery is often considered. Today, an approach known as “Native Alignment” helps restore mobility and recreate a sensation closer to that of a real knee.
What is Knee Osteoarthritis?
Knee osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage surface of the knee joint gradually wears down. Cartilage cushions the bones, supports body weight, and ensures smooth joint movement. When it deteriorates, patients may experience stiffness, difficulty moving the knee in the morning, pain, swelling, cracking sounds, and weakness.
Robotic-Assisted Knee Replacement with Native Alignment
Robotic-assisted knee replacement is a highly effective treatment method, particularly for patients with advanced osteoarthritis. The Native Alignment approach or Anatomical Alignment approach is designed to relieve pain after knee replacement surgery while preserving the knee’s natural structure and movement pattern—closely resembling how the knee functioned before damage occurred.
Key Principle of Native Alignment
The main goal of Native Alignment is to restore the natural biomechanics of the knee, enabling patients to move as they did before joint degeneration or deformity. This approach allows the artificial knee joint to function efficiently without restricting daily activities.
Benefits of Native Alignment Knee Replacement
- Preserves the knee’s natural shape and alignment
This approach aims to restore the knee to its original anatomical alignment before degeneration, reducing the risk of postoperative pain. - Reduces postoperative pain
By adjusting the bone alignment to match each patient’s natural anatomy, this method helps minimize the risk of pain or injury caused by excessive movement after surgery. - Enhances patient satisfaction
Patient satisfaction rates increase from approximately 80% to 95–98% following surgery. - Improves mobility and balance
Patients regain smoother movement and greater confidence in returning to their daily activities. - Replicates the natural knee function
It preserves the knee’s original biomechanics, allowing the artificial joint to function more like a natural knee.
Knee Care and Osteoarthritis Prevention
While osteoarthritis is more common in older adults, it is increasingly seen in working-age individuals. It is important to start taking care of your knees early through the following practices:
- Maintain a healthy weight
Excess body weight increases pressure on the knee joints, especially when bending deeply, such as squatting, kneeling, sitting cross-legged, or folding the legs for a long time. These positions can accelerate cartilage wear. - Exercise regularly and appropriately
Engage in low-impact exercises that strengthen the muscles around the knees, such as swimming, cycling, or brisk walking on flat surfaces. - Prevent knee injuries
Be cautious to avoid accidents that can harm the knees, such as walking or running on uneven or slippery surfaces, or playing high-risk sports or activities without proper care. - Avoid positions that increase knee pressure
Prolonged sitting in positions like kneeling, squatting, or sitting on folded legs can put excessive pressure on the cartilage and speed up knee degeneration.
When to See a Doctor
Consult a doctor if you experience knee pain without a clear cause, frequent locking, or clicking sounds in the knee. Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent the progression of knee degeneration.
For more information, please contact
Hip and Knee Center, Vejthani Hospital
Call: (+66)2-734-0000 Ext. 2222, 2223
English Hotline: (+66)85-223-8888
Medically Reviewed by
Dr. Premstien Sirithanapipat
Orthopedics
Total Joint Reconstruction (Arthroplasty)
Readers’ Rating
5.0 out of 5 stars (based on 6 reviews)
