reconstructive plastic surgery - Macquarie University Hospital

14
SuRGEOnS fROM MACquARiE
uniVERSiTY HOSPiTAl HAVE
PERfORMED THE fiRST OPERATiOn
in AuSTRAliA uSinG An innOVATiVE
RObOTiC lEG iMPlAnT fOR PATiEnTS
wiTH AbOVE-knEE AMPuTATiOnS.
NeW
RoBoTIC leG
Patients requiring a prosthetic lower limb
now have available to them an innovative
approach to rehabilitating their injury with
the arrival of the endo-exo Prosthesis in
Australia.
Professor Munjed Al Muderis, orthopaedic
surgeon at Macquarie University Hospital
and clinical lecture at the Australian School
of Advanced Medicine, has performed the
first operation using the new technology.
Professor Muderis trained in the procedure
through a postgraduate fellowship in
lubeck, Germany, where the technique was
developed in 1999. The technique is based
in tooth implant principles, developed by
dental surgeons.
The robotic leg innovation lies in the way in
which the prosthesis is attached to the
upper limb.
Previously, a vacuum prosthetic leg was
used. This fit over the skin of the remaining
part of the upper limb, but presented a
myriad of problems including friction with
the skin, pain and the risk of infection.
“The new technology works by securing the
prosthesis by using a stem that goes
through the distal femur bone, rather than
over the skin,” explained Dr Muderis. “The
stem is then attached to the robotic leg.
“The prosthesis avoids any contact between
prosthesis and skin, which created problems
in the past between the prosthesis and the
soft tissue of the femur stump.”
It’s a two-stage operation. The first stage
comprises attaching the endo-prosthesis, by
screwing it to the internal part of the bone.
The second part involves inserting the
robotic leg onto the endo-prosthesis.
“The technology provides a safe and
permanent connection between the
prosthesis and the bone,” said Professor
Muderis. “And the benefits to a patient’s
quality of life are enormous.
“The biomechanics of the prosthesis are so
advanced that patients experience much
greater mobility and a return to near-normal
gait. We are seeing patients return to
pre-injury levels of activity.
“Another important outcome is that the
robotic leg reduces the load on the body.
Conventional prostheses take an additional