Hospital for Special Surgery's Jonathan Vigdorchik, MD, was reportedly the first surgeon in the U.S. to complete an augmented reality-assisted knee replacement with the NextAR TKA system.
NextAR, designed by Medacta, fuses artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve preoperative planning.
The device has AR glasses that allow surgeons to view patient anatomy in real-time and helps them navigate instruments and implants while looking at the patient instead of a screen.
"The platform provides direct tracking of the collateral ligaments and a 3D analysis of soft tissue throughout the whole range of motion during surgery," Dr. Vigdorchik said in a Dec. 17 news release. "This allows for optimal ligament balancing for each patient."
Dr. Vigdorchik aims to collect data on AR-assisted knee replacements and compare the technology with robotic-assisted navigation and traditional knee replacements.
Medacta received FDA clearance for NextAR in July.
The company plans to roll the technology out to spine, hip and shoulder surgeries.