The advancements of next-generation knee prostheses, capable of resolving disability and pain.
Next-generation knee prostheses can significantly improve the quality of life for those who, due to degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis, undergo surgery because of severe pain and limited mobility.
The knee is a large, complex and delicate joint in the human body, playing an essential role in:
- stability during movement;
- flexion and extension of the leg;
- walking and running.
Osteoarthritis that has not yet reached a high degree of degeneration can be treated with conservative treatments (anti-inflammatory drugs, ice, injections, physical therapy, regenerative medicine).
However, when the pain becomes unbearable and gonarthrosis is severe, disabling and unresponsive to medications in terms of pain, stiffness and swelling, the only definitive cure is knee prosthesis.
Advances in next-generation knee prostheses
Next-generation knee prostheses are a highly successful procedure that can resolve disability and pain.
We can be proud of achieving high levels of technological innovation that have made this procedure reproducible and “simple for the patient.”
Until a few years ago this type of surgery, lengthy and sometimes painful, required a slow and complicated recovery.
As you can imagine this had implications on the patient’s social and daily life.
Thanks to recent advances and the results achieved by biomedical engineering, the following aspects have changed and evolved:
- surgical intervention techniques;
- quality of prosthesis materials;
- morphology of models;
- optimization of components.
The innovative techniques and new prosthesis designs ensure greater joint mobility; consider that after surgery, the patient can stand up on the same day within a few hours.
The key point is the use of more customizable and durable, technologically advanced prostheses made from biocompatible, advanced materials (titanium, ceramic, tantalum, polyethylene with vitamin E), biologically anchored, safe and fully tolerated by the body.
In some cases, in response to specific allergies to certain materials, hypoallergenic prostheses can be used.
Next-generation knee prostheses are remarkably durable: more than 20 years in 90% of patients and more than 25 years in 80% of patients, sometimes even longer.
It is possible to choose from different types of knee prostheses depending on the patient’s age and bone quality, the degree of deformity and the location of the osteoarthritis, as well as based on the activity level and age of the patient.
Choosing the right implant allows the patient a better and more natural experience, faithful to the biomechanics of their body.
Next-generation prosthesis surgery
Partial or total knee joint replacement is a procedure dependent on the degree of wear and the choice of implant type is linked to several factors such as:
- type of deformity;
- ligament functionality;
- patient’s weight;
- type of joint movement;
- expectations;
- patient’s lifestyle.
A minimally invasive total knee prosthesis implant is used if the knee is damaged in all three compartments (medial femorotibial, lateral and femoropatellar).
The surgical incision does not involve muscles or tendons.
The total prosthesis spares the posterior cruciate ligament, which seems to play a role in sensory input and knee stability, while in other cases, it must be removed, because it is involved in deformities or degenerated by osteoarthritis and thus non-functional.
In some patients osteoarthritis develops in only one area of the knee: in these cases the partial or unicompartmental prosthesis may be the best solution.
It is a minimally invasive prosthesis that replaces only the damaged knee compartment, with less surgical stress, less blood loss and pain and quicker functional recovery. The anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments are always preserved.
Additionally the healthy part of the joint is saved.
Next-generation surgery
The operation is performed in the vast majority of cases under spinal anesthesia, which is painless, safe and advantageous in terms of risk and bleeding. If you are anxious, you can be put to sleep.
The total knee prosthesis surgery lasts about 1 hour, but from the moment the patient enters the operating room to when they leave the ward, about 2-3 hours pass.
Using the minimally invasive surgical technique, the smallest possible amount of tissue is incised, resulting in less blood loss and faster functional recovery.
Typically the knee prosthesis is fixed to the bone with cement, ensuring a solid anchor and long-lasting durability.
In young patients with good bone quality uncemented prostheses made of a material that integrates with the bone can be used.
After replacing the damaged parts with prosthetic components, the surgery ends with the incision being sutured and dressed.
The patient returns from the operating room without a urinary catheter and without a surgical drain and can walk the same day within a few hours.
The patient returns home 3-5 days after surgery with a prescription to follow an outpatient physical therapy program.
Those who need a more intensive rehabilitation program can stay hospitalized to undergo physical therapy as an inpatient.
The implantation of a next-generation prosthesis is a hallmark of Dr. Vanni Strigelli’s method: find out more on the dedicated page.
