Robotic Knee Replacement in Nashville, TN
Knee arthritis does not wear you down all at once. It takes a stair at a time, a round of golf at a time, an evening walk that gets shorter every year. By the time you are reading this page, you have probably tried the conservative route: injections, physical therapy, anti-inflammatories, maybe a cortisone shot that worked for a while and then stopped working. Robotic knee replacement is what comes next for many patients, and it is a procedure Dr. Damon Petty has built much of his practice around.
Dr. Petty performs robotic knee replacement at Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance in Nashville, Brentwood, and Franklin. He uses the Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery System from Stryker, the same platform most of the region’s other robotic knee surgeons use. What is different is how long he has been doing joint replacement (25+ years), his willingness to offer more than one robotic and implant pathway based on your anatomy, and a partial-knee track record with a conversion-to-total rate of under 1%.
What Robotic Knee Replacement Actually is
Robotic knee replacement is a total or partial knee replacement in which a robotic arm helps the surgeon position the implant with more precision than freehand cuts allow. It is not an automated surgery. The robot does not decide where to cut, and it does not move on its own. Dr. Petty plans the surgery, guides the robotic arm through every cut, and makes any intraoperative adjustments the case requires.
The procedure starts with a CT scan of your knee, which is converted into a 3D model. Dr. Petty uses that model to plan implant size, rotation, and alignment before you are in the operating room. During surgery, the robotic arm enforces the plan: it keeps each cut inside the pre-defined area, which protects healthy bone, cartilage, and the surrounding soft tissue. In laboratory studies, robotic-arm assistance has shown more accurate implant placement to plan than conventional technique.
The result is a knee that is aligned to your specific anatomy rather than to population averages, with less soft-tissue disruption and, in many patients, a faster early recovery.
The Mako Robotic-Arm System Dr. Petty Uses
Dr. Petty uses the Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery System for both partial and total knee replacement. The platform has three parts that matter to you as a patient:
For total knee replacements on the Mako platform, Dr. Petty implants the Stryker Triathlon knee, a single-radius design intended to maintain collateral ligament stability through the full range of motion.
For patients who are not a fit for Mako, or whose anatomy is better suited to a different implant, Dr. Petty offers other pathways. Those options are covered in detail on the Knee Replacement page and include the Zimmer Persona knee with I-Assist computer navigation, Conformis fully customized implants, and the Smith & Nephew Journey II. Dr. Petty chooses the system that fits your anatomy and activity goals, not the other way around.
Partial Knee Replacement is Where Robotic Precision Pays Off Most
Dr. Petty’s partial knee replacement practice is one of the strongest arguments for robotic assistance. Partial knees only work when the implant is positioned precisely inside a single compartment of the knee, and the margin for error is small. Robotic-arm assistance narrows that margin.
Dr. Petty has been implanting partial knees for over 25 years. Fewer than 1% of his partial knee patients have required conversion to a total knee replacement. That number reflects a combination of strict candidate selection (he uses the “One Finger Test”: ask the patient to point to the exact spot where the knee hurts, and if that spot is anywhere other than the arthritic compartment on imaging, the partial knee is not the right operation) and the precision the Mako platform brings to the bone cuts.
If you are not a partial knee candidate, a robotic total knee replacement using the same Mako platform is often the right answer. Dr. Petty has performed thousands of knee replacements across both approaches.
Benefits of Robotic Over Conventional Knee Replacement
The case for robotic assistance is not that conventional knee replacement is a bad operation. It is a very good one, and Dr. Petty still offers it when it is the right answer. The case for robotic is that the precision advantages compound into outcomes patients can feel.
In clinical studies and Stryker’s published outcomes data, Mako robotic knee replacement has been associated with four practical benefits:
None of this removes the need for a surgeon who knows what to do with the technology. The robot is a tool. The outcomes belong to the surgeon who plans the case, balances the soft tissue, and makes the judgment calls the 3D model cannot make.
Who is a Candidate for Robotic Knee Replacement
Most adults who are surgical candidates for a knee replacement at all are candidates for a robotic knee replacement. The indications overlap heavily with conventional knee replacement:
Ideal candidates for Robotic Knee Replacement
Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or post-traumatic arthritis in the knee
Knee pain that has not responded to non-surgical treatment (NSAIDs, injections, physical therapy, activity modification)
Functional limitations: trouble with stairs, difficulty walking more than a few blocks, pain that interrupts sleep
Imaging (X-ray or MRI) that shows joint-space narrowing and cartilage loss consistent with your symptoms
PRP may not be appropriate if
Widespread arthritis across all three compartments
Significant osteoporosis
Substantial varus or valgus deformity
Incompetent ACL
Dr. Petty will tell you straight which procedure is the right one for your knee, even when the answer is not the one you walked in hoping to hear.
If you are not ready for surgery yet, Dr. Petty’s regenerative options, including PRP injections and BMAC stem cell therapy, may buy you time. His Cartilage and Meniscus Surgery page covers earlier-stage cartilage damage for patients who are not yet replacement candidates.
Recovery After Robotic Knee Replacement
Recovery after a robotic knee replacement follows the same general arc as conventional knee replacement, with some patients reporting less pain in the first days and weeks.
Individual timelines vary. Your recovery depends on your overall health, how deconditioned the leg became before surgery, how disciplined you are about physical therapy, and a handful of factors no one fully controls. Dr. Petty and Jeff Tinker, his longtime physician assistant, will set realistic expectations at your consultation and stay in close contact with you through the post-op process.
Why Patients Choose Dr. Petty for Robotic Knee Replacement
Robotic knee replacement is available at many Nashville practices. Several of them are very good. What you are looking for on a page like this is the case for choosing Dr. Petty specifically.
25+ years of knee replacement experience. Robotic technology has evolved quickly over the last decade. Dr. Petty’s pattern recognition for knee anatomy, implant sizing, and ligament balance predates the robot by about 15 years, which means he knows when the technology is helping and when the plan needs an adjustment the software cannot see.
Board-certified in Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine. Dr. Petty holds two board certifications. Most Nashville orthopedic surgeons hold one.
Fellowship under Drs. James Andrews and William Clancy. One of the most selective sports medicine fellowships in the country, at the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham.
Head Orthopedic Team Physician for the Tennessee Titans from 2018 to 2026. Vanderbilt University assumed that role for the 2026-27 season. Dr. Petty has also been the team physician for Tennessee State University for the past 15 years.
Surgeon-performed care, not delegated. Dr. Petty performs the surgery, and his longtime team (Jeff Tinker, PA; Shonda Brewer, surgery coordinator; Tere Hunt, RCMA) supports you from consultation through recovery.
Multiple robotic and implant options. Not every knee is a Mako knee. Dr. Petty matches the system to your anatomy rather than using the same platform on every patient.
Patient Reviews
“Dr Damon Petty tells me like it is! Gives me options with all pros and cons then allows me to make the decision. He repaired my meniscus in 2023. I am hiking, playing softball and walking up and down the stairs because of his ability.”
- Cheryl Odom
Petty is by far the best orthopedic surgeon/doctor that I’ve had the pleasure of seeing for the last 10 years. Every surgery has been perfect, and he’s never lied to me.”
- Audrey Giduz
Dr. Damon Petty listens and pays attention to what I say and the problems I may have concerning my knee. He seems honestly interested in making sure my discomfort is short-lived.
- Vitals
Great expertise and knowledge on where the medicine should be applied and why.
- Healthgrades
Frequently Asked Questions
Schedule a Consultation in Nashville
Dr. Petty sees patients at his Nashville office through Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance (TOA) at 8 City Blvd, Nashville, TN 37209. Phone: (615) 329-6600. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
He treats patients from Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Murfreesboro, Hendersonville, Gallatin, Lebanon, and communities throughout Middle Tennessee. Patients also travel from many states throughout the Eastern United States for complex knee and revision cases.
Most patients receive an initial response within 24 to 48 business hours after requesting an appointment.
