This Runner Had Her Knee Replacement Surgery Performed by a Robotic Arm

Are Average Runners Getting Faster? It Depends, knee pain nearly barred her from the sport. Thanks to robotic surgery, she’s now back to running the 13.1-mile distance she loves.

“I couldn’t go for a walk or go shopping for more than 10 minutes without having to sit down due to the pain, ”Daoust said in an article published by Advertisement - Continue Reading Below in Lawrence, Kansas. “To be able to run, I’d have to tape my knee but I’d end up in a lot of pain afterward. The idea of not being able to run was too depressing, so I kept trying a variety of things.”

After a friend recommended seeing an orthopedic doctor, Daoust found James Huston, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in knee and hip replacements. Huston prescribed Daoust anti-inflammatory medications and injectable medicines to avoid surgery. When the pain persisted, Huston recommended a partial knee replacement.

“X-rays showed that Paula had bone-on-bone arthritis on the inner (medial) aspect of her knee, with well-maintained joint spaces in the rest of the knee,” Huston said. A partial knee replacement involves removing the arthritic part of the bone and replacing it with an implant. And according to Huston, partial knee replacements are preferable to total knee replacements because they’re less invasive, require less recovery time, and feel “more like a natural knee because all of the knee ligaments are preserved.”

koelliker hospital show orthopedic robot surgeon to the public

Stefano Guidi//Getty Images

However, when it came time for Daoust surgery, Huston’s arm wasn’t the one performing the operation. Instead, the surgeon used the MAKO robotic arm, a technology used in hip and knee replacements. This tool allows surgeons to plan the surgery on the robot’s software ahead of time and then guide the arm with precision during the procedure.

“The arm allows us to place the joint more precisely and cause less damage to soft tissues and surrounding structures, which can lead to less pain, less need for pain medication and quicker recovery times,” said Huston.

Thanks to Huston and the robotic arm, Daoust did recover quickly. Within two weeks, she was walking on her own and driving a car, and in six more weeks (with a little help from physical therapy), she was back running races with her husband.

Post-surgery, Daoust has now racked up “at least 10” half marathons and is slowly improving her times.