Minimally Invasive Surgery

Minimally invasive orthopedic surgery represents one of the most important innovations in recent years in the treatment of hip and knee osteoarthritis.
Thanks to advanced surgical techniques, it is possible to reduce surgical trauma, limit postoperative pain, and promote faster recovery while maintaining the same effectiveness and durability as traditional prostheses.

What is minimally invasive surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery is not a one-size-fits-all technique, but an approach that uses:

  • reduced skin incisions
  • respect for muscles
  • dedicated tools and facilities

Goal: To provide the patient with the same functional outcome with faster recovery and less pain.

Incision orthopedic surgery minimally invasive hip prosthesis at Rizzoli in Bologna

Advantages of minimally invasive surgery

  • Reduction of postoperative pain
  • Faster recovery of mobility
  • Reduced bleeding and risk of transfusion
  • Smaller skin scars
  • Early return to daily life

Minimally invasive hip surgery

One of the most popular approaches is anterior access for hip arthroplasty :

  • Does not require the detachment of muscles, only the divarication of fibers
  • Allows the patient to walk as early as a few hours after surgery
  • Reduces the risk of prosthesis dislocation

👉 Read more: Hip arthroplasty

Orthopedic surgeon performs minimally invasive hip prosthesis surgery at Rizzoli in Bologna

Minimally invasive knee surgery

In the knee, minimally invasive applies mainly to:

  • Unicompartmental prosthesis (UKA), where only the damaged part is replaced
  • Kinematic alignment in total prosthesis, which respects the patient’s anatomy
  • Use of reduced incisions and techniques that preserve ligaments

👉 Read more: Knee prosthesis

Is it always possible?

Not all patients can benefit from minimally invasive surgery.
The decision depends on:

  • degree of arthrosis
  • general state of health
  • anatomical conformation
  • surgeon’s experience

A thorough orthopedic evaluation allows the most correct indication to be defined.

Orthopedic surgeon performs minimally invasive knee prosthesis surgery at Rizzoli in Bologna
surgery mini invasive knee bolognajpg

Conclusions

Minimally invasive orthopedic hip and knee surgery now offers patients a faster and less painful path to recovery.

At the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute in Bologna, Dr. Federico Giardina uses these techniques to tailor each treatment to the patient’s needs.

👉 Book a specialist consultation to find out if you are a candidate for minimally invasive hip or knee surgery.