Robot Assisted Total Knee Replacement

Abstract

Total knee replacement (TKR) is the 14th most common surgery in the United States. The introduction of automation elements into surgery like robotic assistance will increase the life of artificial knees by reducing misalignment of the implant due to imperfect shaping of the bone. To pave the way for the future further automation of TKR, the team will produce a fixturing system which will hold the knee in place while a robotic six axis arm precisely machines the joint. This document details the proposed product, design principles, and methods used by the senior design team to produce a proof of concept prototype. Challenges inherent to both the prototyping process and the team structure are discussed and solutions are proposed. To demonstrate feasibility of the project, a planned schedule for the remaining semester is submitted which addresses possibly disruptive issues and allows some flexibility to address the issues if they arise