Knee Replacement Shaped to Fit a Woman’s Anatomy

By: Dr. Jason Wong, an orthopedic surgeon on the medical staff of SOCH

Research shows that women and men are different from their brain cells to their bones, joints included, which is why women with painful knees now have available to them a total knee replacement specifically shaped to fit them.  I have performed this procedure using the Zimmer Gender Solutions Knee, the first and only knee replacement shaped to fit a woman’s anatomy.

Nearly two thirds of the more than 400,000 annual knee replacement patients are women, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, and the numbers continue to increase each year.  Yet research shows that while both women and men vastly under use knee replacement, women are three times less likely than men to undergo the procedure, although they suffer from more knee pain and resulting disability.  The National Institute of Health (NIH) reports knee replacement can substantially improve pain, function and quality of life.

The new Zimmer Gender Solutions Knee, should make women more amenable to having a knee replacement since it is the only replacement shaped and sized to fit the female knee.  All other implants being used for total knee replacement are based upon an average between women’s and men’s knees.

The gender-specific knee is designed based on three distinct and scientifically documented shape differences between women’s and men’s knees, and a sophisticated and highly detailed map of the joint created using three-dimensional imaging.

The goal of knee replacement with the gender-specific knee include alleviating knee pain and restoring mobility, while offering fit and function that is optimized for the characteristics more commonly seen in female patients.  Further, it:

1. can be implanted using less-invasive techniques, which typically offer smaller scars, shorter hospitalization and quicker recovery, and
2. safely accommodates high flexion, which is necessary for many activities involving deep bending.

The knee joint is composed of three bones: the end of the femur (thighbone), the top of the tibia (shinbone) and the patella (kneecap), which are all held together by tendons and ligaments and cushioned by cartilage.  Knees can become painful, due to arthritis, injury and infection, which cause deterioration of the cartilage.  When the cartilage is gone, the bones of the knee grind against each other, wearing away and typically causing severe pain.  Total knee replacement involves removing the portion of the bone that is damaged and resurfacing the knee with metal and plastic implants.

Orthopedics has made significant progress in the last decade with improvements on all fronts, from pain management to less-invasive surgery that gets people back to their lives sooner.  A knee that better meets the needs of two-thirds of the knee-replacement population is the logical next step.

The gender-specific knee was created to address the following three shape-related anatomical differences of a woman’s knee:

1. Thinner Profile: The bone in front of a woman’s knee is typically less prominent than in a man’s.  Traditional implants have a thickness in front that may end up feeling bulky, which may result in pain and a decrease in range of motion.  The gender-specific knee has a thinner profile to accommodate this anatomical difference between women and men.
2. More Natural Movement: The angle between the hip and knee affects how the kneecap moves over the thighbone when the knee is in motion.  Women have a distinct shape that frequently results in a different angle between the hip and the knee when compared to men.  The gender-specific knee accounts for the difference, allowing for more natural movement.
3. Contoured Shape: The gender-specific knee has a contoured shape to more closely match the narrower anatomy of a woman’s knee.  This contouring provides for a more precise fit and may prevent the implant from overhanging the bone and potentially pressing on or damaging surrounding ligaments.

For more information about the knee replacement just for women, call SOCHConnect at 609-978-3400.

Date posted: 06/28/07 @ 3:38 pm

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