Knee arthroplasty is on the rise. Already one of the most commonly performed surgeries, the procedure is expected to increase exponentially in coming decades. The reason: patients want to relieve their knee pain so they can keep doing the things they love doing.

The trend is challenging the medical community to make a successful procedure even better. This was the focus of the Johnson & Johnson Institute International Knee Arthroplasty Symposium (IKAS) in Berlin, a gathering of more than 400 leaders in surgery to share the latest science and learnings about advancing care for patients today and in the future.

Chaired by Professor Carsten Perka of the Orthopaedic Department, Charité – University Medicine Berlin, the symposium featured an esteemed faculty of international experts. Over the course of three days, the event took a deep dive into the latest evidence and techniques to optimize outcomes, increase patient satisfaction and reduce costs in the healthcare system.

Event highlights included:

• Key note lecturer Dr. Mullaji from the Mullaji Knee Clinic, India shared his experience with deformity correction.

• Prof Dr. Michael Hirschmann focused on the complexities of revising a primary knee replacement surgery and the importance of setting the patient’s expectations.

• Dr. Mark Clatworthy discussed anatomic alignment and his use of Brainlab’s Knee 3 navigation system. The broader collaboration between DePuy Synthes and www.brainlab.com offers an integrated solution of implants, instrumentation and navigation systems that have the potential to improve patient outcomes, inform decision making during surgery, and increase efficiency.

• Euan Thomson, Global Head of R&D, Digital Technology and Advanced Innovation, shared a vision for the future of digital technologies in orthopedics. Thomson discussed the important progress J&J and its partners are making to build a connected environment where technologies such as robots that enhance surgical performance, are connected to technologies that enhance education (pre- and post-operatively) and technologies that monitor and guide patients through to full recovery.

• An educational exhibit featuring J&J Institute training technologies including:
  • The Surgical Process Institute, a software application to increase OR efficiency
  • Virtual Reality Simulation Training
  • Surgical Navigation Tools

In concluding the event, Professor Perka said he and the faculty hoped that the information shared “can advance care for patients across departments, hospitals and geographies.”

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