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World-leading study to pitch human skill against robot for knee surgery

Published: 30 June 2021

A new £1.6 million NIHR-funded study will compare the benefits of knee replacement surgery performed using a robot to a surgeon using traditional methods.

Knee replacements are common operations, with over 100,000 procedures performed each year in the UK. The RACER (Robotic Arthroplasty: a Clinical and cost Effectiveness Randomised controlled trial) study will compare the use of surgical robots to standard instruments in an effort to determine which of the two techniques is best at improving patient outcomes and reducing pain following surgery.

The study will be jointly run between University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust, Warwick Medical School at the University of Warwick, and the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (ROH) in Birmingham.

Equal numbers of participants will be randomised to each treatment group to find out which surgical technique results in better outcomes. This will include asking questions about people’s ability to complete activities and their quality of life in the long-term and will also find out which method provides the best value for the NHS.

The surgeon will perform the operation for both options in the study. They normally use instruments that provide pre-set angles to help them do the operation, but some surgeons have started using a robotic arm attached to a computer with a pre-prepared map of the leg to guide them.

Surgical robots are favoured by some for their precision and guidance, while standard instruments are preferred by others for their simplicity and ability to use surgeons’ skills and experience, without the added expense.

The team will invite patients to take part from six NHS hospitals across England and Scotland over the coming months. The company that makes the robot, Stryker, will be supporting the study with costs to ensure hospitals do not have to pay extra to take part.

The study is being led by two surgeons, Mr Andy Metcalfe, from UHCW and Warwick Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Warwick, and Professor Ed Davis, from ROH.

Mr Metcalfe, said: “Can robots help surgeons perform knee replacements better? This is a really important question and we’re delighted that the NIHR has agreed to support the study.

“Surgeons are always working to improve the care we give and we’re seeing more robots in surgery now. This study is about whether using a robot gives better results for patients having knee replacements and we’re looking forward to being able to answer that. 

“It is a big achievement for the team to be at the forefront of a world-leading multi-centre study like this, it is probably one of the most important questions in orthopaedic surgery right now. We’re really pleased to be able to get started.”

Professor Ed Davis added: “We are excited to begin this incredibly significant study. It will help orthopaedic surgeons across the world to better understand the most effective tools and techniques when performing knee replacements. It will also help us to ensure patients enjoy the very best outcomes.

“The team have all worked incredibly hard during the pandemic to ensure this trial is safe and of the highest quality. We are all very keen to evaluate the evidence and share it as widely as possible.”

Although the trial opened at the end of December 2020, activity was delayed by the Covid-19 response, when most orthopaedic services were paused. Some hospitals are now seeing patients again and the study is now accepting patients into its first sites.

The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham and the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, London, are already open for recruitment, with a number of other hospitals across the UK (including the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Trust, and Portsmouth NHS Hospitals) expected to open soon.

More information about this study is available on our Funding and Awards website.

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