A joint replacement robot uses a 3D model of your joint — built from a CT scan or by mapping the joint during surgery — to plan the operation and guide bone cuts with high accuracy. The surgeon remains fully in control; the robot is a precision instrument, not an autonomous machine.
Step 1: 3D planning
With CT-based systems, a scan taken before surgery creates a 3D model of your joint and the surgeon designs the implant size, position and alignment digitally before the operation.
Image-free systems skip the CT scan: the surgeon maps the bone surfaces with a tracked probe during surgery and the system builds the 3D model and plan on the spot.
Step 2: Intraoperative execution
In surgery, the patient's anatomy is registered to the digital plan with optical trackers. The robotic arm constrains the surgeon's instrument to the exact pre-planned cuts — preventing any deviation.
Soft-tissue balance is verified in real-time and the plan adjusted dynamically.
Step 3: Verified outcome
Final implant position is confirmed against the digital plan. Studies show robotic-assisted surgery positions implants closer to the plan, and more consistently, than manual cutting guides.