JSH Officials Introduce ‘Smart Knee’ Procedure In Hopkinsville

In 2021, officials with Jennie Stuart Health and its Medical Center made a gamble on the future — introducing a “robotic surgical assistant,” or ROSA, to help the hospital’s lauded Orthopaedics team with knee replacements, joint repair and the ever-long battle against arthritis.

Fast forward nearly two years into Tuesday afternoon, and this commitment was taken a step further — when JSH physicians became the first in Commonwealth medical history to successfully install the Zimmer Biomet Persona IQ “smart knee” in two patients.

Using a physical diagram of the tibial implement for knee replacements, Dr. Rudy Robbe explained this device — which gets inserted near the bottom of this “T-shaped” element, and starts collecting empirical data soon after triage and release.

Inside this new technology, he said, is a gyroscope, an oscilloscope, and the ability to upload pedometer-like information to a HIPPA-compliant cloud computer server for better future treatment plans and patient record-keeping.

Robbe noted none of this would be possible in Hopkinsville without commitment from JSH leadership, nor without a robust team in the department.

A historic day for JSH, the City of Hopkinsville and the Bluegrass State, local native Dr. David Bealle reminisced — as earlier times came with less technology and more recovery time for patients seeking joint care.

Ken Parker, of Princeton, also took time to reflect Tuesday afternoon — sharing that the JSH Orthopaedic team had some humble beginnings, courtesy of a gentlemen’s handshake with Dr. Bealle.

JSH President & CEO Eric Lee called the technology and those using it “phenomenal,” and further stated that the procedures of ROSA and this new “smart knee” will impact more than Christian Countians, but many in south western Kentucky and northwest Tennessee.

These precision efforts can bring healing to traumatic, sports-related, chronic, and/or debilitating ailments — and through repair and rehabilitation comes a better quality of life.

For additional information about this technology, one can visit www.JennieStuartHealth.org.

FULL NEWS CONFERENCE:

JSH Press Conference: January 31, 2023