Kathleen Denis

About

Kathleen Denis is a biomedical engineer and researcher whose career has centered on the intersection of robotics, orthopedic surgery, and surgical precision. Best known for her pioneering work in robot-assisted total knee arthroplasty (TKA), Denis has made substantial contributions to improving the accuracy and safety of bone preparation techniques critical to successful joint replacement outcomes. Her most cited work, "Influence of bone milling parameters on the temperature rise, milling forces and surface flatness" (2001, 59 citations), established foundational knowledge about optimizing robotic bone milling, while her complementary studies on force-controlled robotic machining (1998, 36 citations) demonstrated how robotic systems can achieve the surgical precision required for cementless implants and proper joint kinematics. Denis also advanced tibial registration methodologies, investigating intramedullary rod accuracy and surface matching techniques to improve how robots spatially locate anatomical structures during surgery. More recently, her research has expanded into spinal surgery robotics, including a systematic review of non-radiative spine sensing technologies (2023) and ultrasound-guided robotic pedicle screw placement (2024), demonstrating a sustained commitment to safer, image-guided surgical automation across orthopedic disciplines. With over 180 cumulative citations, her work remains influential for researchers developing next-generation orthopedic robotic systems.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Influence of bone milling parameters on the temperature rise, milling forces and surface flatness in view of robot-assisted total knee arthroplasty

   59 citations · 2001
2. 2
   Machining and accuracy studies for a tibial knee implant using a force-controlled robot

   36 citations · 1998
3. 3
   Machining and Accuracy Studies for a Tibial Knee Implant Using a Force-Controlled Robot

   36 citations · 1998
4. 4
   How Correctly Does an Intramedullary Rod Represent the Longitudinal Tibial Axes?

   24 citations · 2002
5. 5
   Registration of the tibia in robot-assisted total knee arthroplasty using surface matching

   9 citations · 2003
6. 6
   State-of-the-Art of Non-Radiative, Non-Visual Spine Sensing with a Focus on Sensing Forces, Vibrations and Bioelectrical Properties: A Systematic Review

   7 citations · 2023
7. 7
   A semi-active milling procedure in view of preparing implantation beds in robot-assisted orthopaedic surgery

   6 citations · 2005
8. 8
   Comparison of Registration Procedures of the Tibia in Robot-Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty

   3 citations · 2003
9. 9
   All-Ultrasound-Guided Path Planning for Robotic Pedicle Screw Placement

   2 citations · 2024
10. 10
    ACCURACY STUDY ON THE REGISTRATION OF THE TIBIA BY MEANS OF AN INTRAMEDULLARY ROD IN ROBOT- ASSISTED TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY

    2 citations · 2000

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links