Kunming, Yunnan – On August 22, 2022, the Honghu orthopedic surgical robot (hereinafter referred to as "Honghu"), which was fully self-developed by MicroPort NaviBot (Suzhou) Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of Shanghai MicroPort MedBot (Group) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “MicroPort^® MedBot^®”), performed its first robotic-assisted total hip replacement surgery supported by the team led by Professor Xu Yongqing at the 920 Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force. Thanks to its power function of 3D preoperative planning, Honghu is capable of carrying out the 3D reconstruction of the hip joint based on the patient’s CT images prior to the surgery, thus rendering the planning visualized, digital and measurable and providing patients with personalized prosthesis implantation surgical plans. Equipped with domestic self-developed robotic arms for grinding and filing, Honghu allows for more accurate and controllable acetabular grinding and acetabular cup tapping. Intraoperative and post-implantation assessments can be performed in real time in terms of the patient’s joint stability, mobility, leg length and the level of deviation to help doctors improve surgical precision and efficiency, so as to boost the patient's hip motion and stability for better recovery. The success of the first total hip replacement surgery done with MicroPort^® Honghu marks the strength of MicroPort^® MedBot^® to provide full solutions in the domain of orthopedics. With solid R&D technical prowess, it promotes the  development and maturity of orthopedic surgical robots, leading to integrated orthopedic surgery solutions for the benefit of more patients.

The patient in this case is a 48-year-old man who underwent total hip replacement on the left side two months ago. This time, he was diagnosed ischemic necrosis of the right femoral head and was advised to have total hip replacement on the right side.

Before the total hip replacement surgery, Prof. Xu Yongqing and Dr. Li Chuan conducted CT 3D reconstruction of the hip joint through Honghu and formulated a personalized surgical solution for the patient. During the operation, with the guidance of Honghu to complete the robot  registration and the bone registration, the robotic arms  accurately positioned to the positioned to the expected position,  assistedthe surgeons to complete the grinding and filing of the acetabulum and placement of the acetabular cup, and the whole operation was smooth and efficient.

As shown by the intraoperative fluoroscopy and postoperative measurements, the anteversion and abduction angles were exactly as planned. After the surgery, the patient was quite satisfied with the preoperative customized planning and his own fast recovery.

With the help of Honghu, we successfully completed this surgery with a smooth and efficient operational process. Compared with the traditional operation mode, Honghu can reconstruct the patient’s joint in three dimensions based on CT images, which makes the implant positioning more accurate and personalized. During the operation, the abduction angle and anteversion angle of the acetabular cup can be adjusted based on the patient’s condition, and the free mode can also be used for navigating the reference grinding, therefore allowing the more advanced technology to be applied to joint replacement.

The success of the first total hip replacement surgery with the MicroPort^® Honghu orthopedic surgical robot exemplifies our possession of product core technology and our ability to upgrade products rapidly, marking an important step in MicroPort^® OrthoBot’s strategy toward a total solution for hard tissues and a milestone in the platforming of the Honghu product. At the same time, we will also maintain close cooperation with experts, have a full understanding of clinical demands, and communicate at any time to respond to the feedback of doctors, in a bid to accelerate the product updates for the benefit of patients.

Under the leadership of Prof. Xu Yongqing’s team at the 920 Hospital, Honghu completed the first total hip replacement surgery, whose success marks a milestone for Honghu to officially enter the stage of combined hip and knee joint replacement. MicroPort^® MedBot^® will continue to provide integrated surgical total solutions for doctors and patients. It is and will always stay true to its original aspiration to make surgeries easier, safer and less invasive!

The Orthopedics Department of the 920 Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force is one of the largest comprehensive departments in southwest China with subspecialties such as traumatic orthopedics, microsurgery, spinal surgery and sports medicine. It currently houses 450 beds in 11 inpatient wards with annual surgeries reaching 15,000 to 17,000. The Orthopedic Department is a unit where the Designate Director of the Microsurgery Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and the Vice President of the Surgery Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association work at. It also serves as a clinical experiment base. This year, under the leadership of Professor Xu Yongqing, the development of hip preservation, artificial or robotic hip & knee replacement, artificial intelligence, and new materials has been boosted in the Orthopedic Department. More than 20 prefecture- and city-level hospitals in the province were organized to participate in multicenter studies of the robotic-assisted artificial total knee replacement, with over 130 surgeries completed, strengthening the cultivation of professional doctors who can independently operate the robot, and also laying a solid foundation for studying the safety and effectiveness of surgical robots. As a highly-acclaimed department, it enjoys high prestige in southwest area. All comrades at the Orthopedic Department are diligent and dedicated, standing in solidarity to stick to their posts and strive for innovation. Since 2000, the department has witnessed remarkable achievements in medicine, teaching and research, along with great headway in personnel training, discipline construction, technological innovation and service for army. It has scored remarkable social, technical and economic benefits, ranking the first in orthopedics in Yunnan Province. At present, it serves as the Institute of Traumatic Orthopedics of the Whole Army, the Military Construction Unit of National Key Specialties, the Clinical Medical Center of Traumatic Orthopedics in Yunnan Province, the Clinical Medical Research Center of Orthopedics and Sports Rehabilitation in Yunnan Province, and the academician workstation.