Jun 19, 2007 5:33 pm US/Eastern
Quicker Recovery With Customized Knee Replacements
by Dr. Mallika Marshall
(WBZ)
A revolutionary new kind of customized knee surgery is helping patients feel better faster.
"I would characterize this as the probably the biggest advance I've seen in nearly 25 years," said Dr. Joseph Vernace of Bryn Mawr Hospital in Pennsylvania.
Customizing starts with an MRI that is used to create a virtual knee model and a surgical cutting guide. Then the artificial knee is put in place with a perfect fit. With traditional knee replacement, the fitting is done during surgery.
"With this new technique all the measurings are done ahead of time," said Dr. Vernace. "So the ligaments and the structures in the knee, the muscles are better balanced."
The surgery is a lot faster and so is the recovery, with fewer complications.
"The knee's more stable, better aligned. So the knees function better after surgery," according to Dr. Vernace.
Jean Wetzel has the surgery in January. Now she is back in her garden, no longer in constant pain from arthritis in her knees. "My knees feel really great. I have to say I'm able to do almost everything that I want now."
Jean is among a growing number of people getting knee replacements, mainly because of osteoarthritis and more people being active.
Local physicians who are performing custom fit knee replacement with OtisKnee include:
Dr. Daniel Snyder, Newton Wellesley Orthopedic Associates/Newton Wellesley Hospital
(617) 964-0024
Dr. Joseph McCarthy, Massachusetts General Hospital, Newton Wellesley Hospital
(617)243-9552
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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