WV Press Release Sharing
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – WVU Medicine Thomas Hospitals is the first site in the Kanawha Valley to offer robotic-assisted total knee replacement with the Zimmer Biomet ROSA® robotic surgical assistant.
ROSA was developed to assist surgeons in optimizing their accuracy and efficiency when planning and performing total knee replacement procedures. ROSA Knee starts with a series of X-rays of the patient’s knee. Those X-rays are used to create a 3D model, which allows the surgeon to create a personalized surgical plan and tailor the surgery to the anatomy of each patient. ROSA Knee allows the surgeon to make more precise cuts to the bone, which can potentially lead to faster increases in range of motion, quicker recovery and a greater chance for long-term success.
While surgeons still perform the procedure by hand, the information provided by the ROSA results in more precise and accurate knee replacements.
with patient
Greg Guinn following his robotic-assisted
knee replacement.
“ROSA is beneficial because we are able to create a patient specific plan prior to making any cuts, which allows us to improve surgical accuracy,” Dr. Matthew Stover, an orthopedist at WVU Medicine Thomas Hospitals said. “The individualized plans ensure that the areas where we make certain bone cuts are perfectly precise and implants are placed in just the right position.”
Greg Guinn was one of the first Thomas Hospitals’ patients to have the total knee replacement surgery, performed by Dr. Stover. Greg’s right knee was replaced in 2021 in a traditional surgery. His left knee was replaced in June 2023 with assistance from ROSA Knee after it was discovered that he had no cartilage and his knee was bone on bone. As a patient who experienced both a robotic-assisted and a traditional knee replacement, Greg has a unique perspective.
“Both of my knee replacements with Dr. Stover were very successful and I would recommend him to anyone considering a joint replacement,” Greg said. “The robotic knee surgery gave me a quicker recovery time and I am so glad to be back on my feet and doing things I love like camping with my family.”
