Dr. Johnson is the first Mako Certified Physician in West Michigan for this advanced robotic-arm assisted partial and complete knee replacement. In 2023, he completed his 1,000th knee replacement with this breakthrough technology.
Knee replacement is a fairly common yet specialized surgical procedure in which a diseased or damaged joint is replaced with an artificial joint called an implant. If you know someone who had a knee replaced even 5 years ago, the surgical procedure used today is likely to be quite different…with better outcomes.
In addition to being the first West Michigan surgeon certified on this new technology, Dr. Johnson is the only surgeon in West Michigan who trains and certifies other surgeons around the world on the Mako. As the latest advancement in complete and partial knee replacement surgery, Mako is gaining international use, and Dr. Johnson’s experience is helping the global medical community.
Your knee replacement begins with a CT scan of your knee joint which is used to generate a 3D virtual model of your unique anatomy. This virtual model is loaded into the Mako system software, where Dr. Johnson refines the data to better suit your specific anatomy. The result is your personalized pre-operative plan.
Listen to Dr. Johnson’s interview with WGVU on his 1,000th Mako Knee Replacement.
In the operating room, Dr. Johnson uses the Mako system to assist in performing your surgery, guided by the robotic-arm within the pre-defined area. The Mako system assures that the knee is prepared according to the planned boundaries defined in your personalized pre-operative plan. Mako Technology has demonstrated accurate placement of implants with soft tissue protection to the ligaments around the knee.
If the osteoarthritis in your knee is limited to a single area, you may only need a partial knee replacement.
Your knee is divided into three compartments: the medial compartment (the inside part of the knee), the lateral compartment (the outside part), and the patellofemoral compartment (the front of the knee between the kneecap and thighbone).
With a partial knee replacement, only the damaged compartment is replaced with metal and plastic. The healthy cartilage and bone in the rest of the knee is left untouched.
The advantages of partial knee replacement over total knee replacement include:
