Arthroscopic hip surgery has become one of the fastest and most steadily growing surgical procedures. With this increased demand, surgical facilities are looking for ways to mitigate a persistent challenge: complications caused by the surgical tables. A new type of surgical table for hip arthroscopy has a novel design to address this challenge, and it uses IKO linear motion rolling guides in its positioning apparatus. Here’s how:

Improving Range of Motion and Control
With traditional hip arthroscopy tables, the positioning mechanisms used to maneuver the patient for the procedure have limited precision and, as a result, can possibly cause injuries. To alleviate these complications, the new table was designed to give the surgeon greater range of motion and more control while maneuvering the patient’s legs and hips.

Together with a custom engineering firm, the manufacturer developed the surgical table with an innovative positioning mechanism that extends outward from its base using a pair of linear guides. Because the positioning process affects patient outcomes and quality of life, the guides must deliver smooth, precise motion. In addition, the linear guides had to support heavy loads, require little maintenance and prove durable for an application where reliability is a must.

When evaluating linear guides with the table manufacturer, the firm’s designers suggested IKO guides because of its previous successes using our products. Due to the load-handling requirement, they narrowed their selection down to roller-type bearings and chose our C-Lube MX linear motion rolling guides. These guides feature four rows of cylindrical rollers inside a highly rigid carriage to achieve high-load capacities and high accuracy for patient movement. They also exhibit minimal elastic deformation that ensures stable and reliable operation under heavy or fluctuating loads. And, they come with C-Lube, a built-in lubricating element that provides long lasting, maintenance-free operation.

MX Series linear motion rolling guides are available with a variety of options to make them well-suited for operating rooms and other hygienic environments. Options include:

• Stainless steel construction.
• Black chrome surface treatment to prevent rust on the rails and carriage.
• C-wiper and scrapers to create a barrier between the rolling elements and the outside environment.

An IKO sales engineer worked with the custom engineering firm on the preliminary designs and technical adjustments, with help from local IKO offices along the way.

Greater Motion Control Without Complications
The MX Series linear motion rolling guide is performing reliably in the field, delivering the load support and precise motion to help give surgeons better access to the hip joint and ensure healthy patient outcomes. Whether you need a linear guide that can move a heavy load with smoothness and precision or operate dependably in hygienic or harsh environments, we can help you select and tailor the right guide for your critical application.

For more information about our MX Series linear motion rolling guides, visit our product page.