Zimmer® Gender Knee Replacement

Research shows women and men are different from their brain cells to their bones, joints included, which is why women with painful knees now have a total knee replacement specifically shaped to fit them. The surgeons at Orlando Orthopaedic Center are among the first surgeons in the Orlando area to offer this unique surgical procedure, 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 underuse 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 Institutes of Health (NIH) reports knee replacement can substantially improve pain, function and quality of life.

The new Zimmer Gender Solutions Knee is the only knee shaped and sized to optimally fit the female knee. Bryan L. Reuss, M.D., an Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in Sports Medicine at Orlando Orthopaedic Center, believes this unique implant will make women more amenable to having a knee replacement. All other implants being used for total knee replacement are based upon an average between women’s and men’s knees.

“The Gender Solutions Knee is based on Zimmer’s NexGen® Knee, which has an excellent 10-year track record, so it offers the best of all worlds – a highly successful implant with high flexion capabilities that is now designed to fit and feel more like a woman’s natural knee,” says Jeffrey P. Rosen, M.D., an Orlando Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in joint replacement who has been using the Gender Solutions for women since its introduction a year ago and has seen a definite improvement in the patients shortened recovery and rehabilitation and better long term results.

The goals of the Zimmer Gender Solutions 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:

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

Surgeons at Orlando Orthopaedic Center implant the Zimmer Gender Knee using the new less invasive surgical technique which can be performed through an incision as small as 4 inches, compared to 8 to 12 inches for traditional TKA. Samuel S. Blick, M.D., an Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in Sports Medicine and Joint Replacements says, “most patients have less pain, less tissue disruption and the ability to perform more exercises on day one following surgery.”

“Orthopaedics 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,” said Cheryl Blanchard, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer for Zimmer. The physicians at Orlando Orthopaedic Center share in this approach, therefore, it is no wonder that they’re attracted to this cutting edge technology as the logical next step in their practice. The new implant addresses the following three shape-related anatomical differences of a woman’s knee:

1. Thinner Profile – The bone in the 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 Zimmer Gender Solutions Knee has a thinner profile to accommodate this anatomical difference between women and men.
2. More Natural Movement – The angle between the hip and the knee affects how the kneecap moves over the thighbone when the knee is in motion. Women have a distinct shape which frequently results in a different angle between the hip and the knee when compared to men. The Zimmer Gender Solutions Knee accounts for this difference, allowing for more natural movement.
3. Contoured Shape – The Zimmer Gender Solutions 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 and tendons.

For more information about the Zimmer Gender Solutions Knee or to schedule an appointment, call Orlando Orthopaedic Center at (407) 254-2500.

To request a free brochure, visit www.genderknee.com.

Zimmer, Gender Solutions, NexGen, Minimally Invasive Solutions, MIS, and Quad-Sparing are trademarks of Zimmer, Inc.