ISSUE 54 EWJ web - Journal - Page 32
World-leading Study Begins into Robotic
Surgery for Knee Replacement with
Major £1.6 Million Funding Grant
A major national study will pitch human skill against machine precision as it compares the
benefits of knee replacement surgery performed using a robot to a surgeon using traditional
methods.
Knee replacements are now very common operations;
over 100,000 procedures are performed each year in
the UK. The RACER (Robotic Arthroplasty: a Clinical
and cost Effectiveness Randomised controlled trial)
study is set to compare the use of surgical robots to
standard instruments in an effort to determine which
of the two techniques is best at improving patient outcomes and reducing pain following surgery.
Surgical robots are favoured by some for their
precision and guidance, while standard instruments
are preferred by others for their simplicity and ability
to make greater of use of surgeons’ skills and experience, without the added expense.
The team will invite patients to take part from six
NHS hospitals across England and Scotland over the
coming months. The company that makes the robot,
Stryker, will be supporting the study with costs to ensure hospitals do not have to pay extra to take part.
The study will be jointly run between Warwick
Medical School at the University of Warwick, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW)
NHS Trust and The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital
(ROH) in Birmingham.
The study is being led by two surgeons, Mr Andy Metcalfe, from UHCW and Warwick Clinical Trials Unit at
the University of Warwick, and Professor Ed Davis,
from ROH.
The £1.6 million randomised controlled trial is
funded by the National Institute for Health Research
(NIHR) - the research partner of the NHS, public
health and social care. With equal numbers of participants in each treatment group, a balanced and fair
comparison can be made to find out which surgical
technique results in better outcomes. This will include
asking questions about people’s ability to do activities
and their quality of life in the long-term and will also
find out which method provides the best value for the
NHS.
Mr Metcalfe said: “Can robots help surgeons perform
knee replacements better? This is a really important
question and we’re delighted that the NIHR has
agreed to support the study.
“Surgeons are always working to improve the care we
give and we’re seeing more robots in surgery now.
This study is about whether using a robot gives better
results for patients having knee replacements and
we’re looking forward to being able to answer that.
The surgeon performs the operation for both options
in the study. They normally use instruments that provide pre-set angles to help them do the operation, but
some surgeons have started using a robotic arm attached to a computer with a pre-prepared map of the
leg to guide them.
“It is a big achievement for the team to be at the
forefront of a world-leading multi-centre study like
this, it is probably one of the most important questions
in orthopaedic surgery right now. We’re really pleased
to be able to get started.”
Mr David Miller
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
MBChB, MRCS, FRCS (Orth)
I am a Consultant Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon with a specialist
interest in; shoulder, whiplash claims, soft tissue injuries, elbow and
upper limb injuries. I also undertake medical negligence cases.
I undertake approximately 250 personal injury reports per year.
I cover the Crewe, Stoke-on-Trent, Leeds, Cheshire, Leicester
and London areas. Also available for home/domicillary visits
I am able to offer quick appointments and preparation of reports.
Email: dvmill@aol.com
Tel: 07734 849 218 - Fax: 01270 612 043
Leighton Hospital, Middlewich Road, Crewe, CW1 4QJ
EXPERT WITNESS JOURNAL
30
APRIL 2024