Royal Derby Hospital: Robot used in joint replacement procedures

The new technology is now being used by surgeons at the Royal Derby Hospital

A state-of-the-art robot is being used to carry out certain joint replacement procedures at the Royal Derby Hospital.

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) NHS Trust is one of a handful of trusts in the UK using the Stryker MAKO robot.

The robot could improve the accuracy of joint operations and has been used in about 25 cases so far.

The hospital has been chosen to take part in a national study as part of the robot's roll-out.

The study - commissioned by the National Institute for Health Care Research (NIHR) - will "evaluate outcomes following robot assisted joint replacement".

The trust said the trauma and orthopaedics teams had used robotic surgery in different ways in the past 15 years, while general and urological surgeons at UHDB also carry out procedures with the Da Vinci robot.

Steve Milner, clinical director of trauma and orthopaedics at UHDB, said: "The MAKO robot has the potential to improve the accuracy of joint replacement surgery, particularly in complex cases."