For knee and hip surgeries, robots show promise for a better fit

Orthopedic surgeons are doctors, but they are also artisans, sculpting bone so that it fits snugly with artificial hips and knees.

But even the best artists make mistakes, says Dr. William Bargar, an orthopedic surgeon at Sutter General Hospital in Sacramento, and the imperfections that are charming in handicrafts have no place in modern medicine. That's why he invented the bone-drilling Robodoc.

The robot, which excavates bones to make room for hip and knee replacements, is made by Curexo Technology Corp. in Fremont, Calif. It and another surgical tool, Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic (RIO) System made by Mako Surgical Corp. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., are designed to minimize human error and turn surgical art into operating-room engineering. latimes.com