Mako Robotic Partial Knee Replacement

What is a partial knee replacement?

The knee has three compartments — medial (inside), lateral (outside), and patellofemoral (kneecap). When arthritis is limited to one compartment with healthy ligaments, a unicompartmental replacement resurfaces only that compartment with a small implant, leaving the rest of your native knee untouched.

Why patients choose it

Compared with total knee replacement: a smaller incision, less blood loss, faster recovery, and — because your cruciate ligaments are preserved — a knee that feels more like your own. Studies consistently show higher patient-reported “forgotten joint” scores for well-selected partial knees.

The Mako difference for partials

Implant positioning tolerance in partial knee replacement is tight — small errors matter more than in total knees. That’s exactly where robotic execution shines: your CT-based 3D plan is delivered by the robotic arm within fractions of a millimeter, protecting the compartments being preserved.

Candidacy & recovery

The ideal candidate has single-compartment arthritis, intact ligaments, and correctable alignment — Dr. Pettit confirms this with X-rays, exam, and the pre-operative CT. Recovery is brisk: walking day one, many patients off assistive devices in two to three weeks, and return to low-impact sport over two to three months.

Frequently asked questions