During a total knee replacement, plastic and metal parts are used to replace injured or damaged parts of the knee. Until now, a doctor had to rely on his or her experience to remove bone, replace it with implanted material and align the plastic or metal material with the bone. Since each patient's knee is different, this can prove to be challenging. Computer-assisted knee replacements offer better outcomes for patients and more accuracy for doctors.

"This technology allows the surgeon to customize the total knee replacement for each patient," said orthopaedic surgeon Daniel Hoeffel, MD. "This will improve accuracy and consistency. The patients will have better long term results."

During the live webcast being broadcast from Woodwinds Orthopaedic Learning Center, Dr. Hoeffel will be using the Ci® System by DePuy, a division of Johnson and Johnson, which gives doctors a whole new view of total knee replacement surgery. Using infrared, the system displays a 3D model of the patient's knee on a computer screen. The image of the knee allows the surgeon to clearly see inside the joint and more exactly align the bone and implanted material in the knee. Patient benefits include better outcomes after surgery and smaller surgical incisions.

Daniel Hoeffel, MD, specializes in total joint replacement and is certified to train other orthopaedic surgeons in the proper use of the Ci computer navigation system. Dr. Hoeffel is a partner in the Summit Orthopedic group and his practice includes the treatment of orthopedic injuries including fractures. His area of subspecialty is total joint replacements and revision of failed total joints.

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