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Knee Implants Designed Just for Women
About two-thirds of the more than 300,000 total knee replacements performed in the United States each year are for women.
Until recently, the design of knee implants was based on an average between the size of men’s knees and women’s knees. However, the anatomy of the female knee is different than the male knee and artificial knee manufacturers have begun designing knee implants for women. Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin are among the first in southeastern Wisconsin to use these gender specific implants.
“The new gender specific knee implants are more contoured — narrower and thinner — than those used for a man and are more in line with a woman’s anatomy,” said James Ninomiya, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin orthopaedic surgeon.
“We have all types and sizes of knee implants available here at all times,” Dr. Ninomiya said. “The type we use for a woman ultimately depends on what we consider to be best during surgery. For some women, the gender specific implant is the best fit. In other cases, the traditional knee implant may be better. We can tailor the fit to each patient.”
Source: Froedtert Today Date: March 2008 |