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MEET THE SURGEONS Mark Aierstok, MD, general orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, earned his medical degree from East Tennessee State University's Quillen College of Medicine. He received orthopedic training while serving in the United States Army at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. He served as an orthopedic surgeon for the 10th Mountain Infantry Division at Fort Drum in New York and was deployed to the 86th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. Frank T. Lombardo, MD, orthopedic joint replacement specialist at Vassar Brothers Medical Center Orthopedic Center of Excellence, earned his medical degree with an honorary recognition in research from Stony Brook School of Medicine. He served general and orthope - dic surgery residencies at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he was named Orthopedic Surgery Resident of the Year in 2005. After residency training, Dr. Lombardo completed a fellowship in adult joint reconstruction at Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute. Michael Schweppe, MD, general orthopedic surgeon at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, earned his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He served an ortho - pedic trauma research fellowship at New York Presbyterian/Columbia Medical Center. Dr. Schweppe is past chief of orthopedic surgery at Northern Dutchess Hospital. David T. Stamer, MD, orthopedic surgeon and past president of the medical staff at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, earned his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, where he also served his residency. Dr. Stamer is a past board of trust - ees member of both Vassar Brothers Medical Center and Health Quest. With this tool at our disposal, the success rates for partial knee replacements are equivalent to those of total knee replacements, and with less trauma to the surrounding tissue." Because MAKOplasty is less invasive than total knee replacement and preserves more bone and soft tissue than traditional partial knee resurfacing procedures, orthopedic surgeons can treat a broader patient population. "Some might be in their 70s and 80s and only recently have experienced knee pain," says Mark Aierstok, MD, Orthopedic Associates of Dutchess County, PC, and orthopedic surgeon at VBMC Orthopedic Center of Excellence. "Others may have sports- or activity-related injuries that cause osteoarthritis in their 40s and 50s. Any of these patients may be good candidates for MAKOplasty." Computer Navigation and Robotic Assistance While the evolution of knee replacement surgery has seen introductions of various manual and computer-assisted techniques, MAKOplasty represents an innovative leap in precision and personalized treatment. "Compared to other hand-operated systems, MAKOplasty enables far more accurate cuts," Dr. Aierstok says. "The system's navigational abilities make for more reproducible operations than are possible with traditional manual cutting guides used in typical partial knee reconstruction. This technology gives us the opportunity to individualize the cuts to ensure optimal knee tension before we place the components. Other computer-based techniques don't allow intraoperative adjustments, and other manual techniques aren't as consistently accurate." MAKOplasty partial knee resurfacing utilizes intraoperative computer guidance, which Dr. Aierstok describes as "a global positioning system (GPS) inside the operating room." The map the system uses is based on a CT scan made during presurgi- cal workups typically scheduled at VBMC one week before the operation. On the day of the operation, orthopedic surgeons and MAKOplasty specialists load the CT scan onto the MAKOplasty computer, which is equipped with specialized software that builds a 3-D model of the leg in virtual space and matches the patient's dimensions with the best-fitting replacement component. To ensure precise component placement, surgeons position sensors on the tibia and femur that sync with "eyes" on the computer, which superimposes real-time coordinates on the preoperative CT scan. From this data, the surgeon establishes the surgical plan. "Now, we have the patient and computer linked," Dr. Lombardo explains. "With the surgical plan in place, the robot comes into the picture." Frank T. Lombardo, MD, prepares the preoperative sensors in order to synchronize the patient's anatomy with the RIO Robotic Interactive Arm Orthopedic System. Peter Szabelski, Clinical Launch and Product Specialist, prepares MAKOplasty for surgery. M D N E W S . CO M ■ MD NEWS Mid Hudson | 7