London-based Smith+Nephew designed the Cori digital tensioner as a purpose-built device for measuring the ligament tension in a knee prior to cutting the bone. It enables a surgeon to quantify joint laxity in the native knee and achieve an optimal ligament tensioning force.
According to the company, the Cori digital tensioner helps to reduce variability when balancing the knee in surgery. This helps make surgical planning more objective versus other commercially available alternatives.
The Cori digital tensioner produces a surgeon-defined, quantifiable force to distract the knee joint. It applies consistent tension to the ligaments and provides objective gap data for procedure planning and execution. Smith+Nephew said a small clinical case series demonstrated reduced tensioning variability by 64% compared to a manual technique.
According to the company, the device is the first and only ligament tensioning device in robotic-assisted surgery to assess joint laxity in the native knee before performing bony resection. It also enables the automatic collection of gap data at a specified force through the full range of movement. The system uses a software interface that allows surgeons to choose their preferred target force value.
Dr. Bertrand Kaper of Orthopedic Specialists of Scottsdale and HONORHEALTH Medical Group in Arizona performed the first commercial procedure. He said it “brings a new realm of objective data” to knee replacement.
“The surgeon is now able to collect joint laxity data, in a proactive manner, to assist with the visualization, planning and execution of the patient’s surgery in real time,” said Kaper. “It’s unlike any other tool we’ve historically had available and will be a powerful addition to the robotic-assisted knee replacement technology that the CORI platform currently offers.”
