The Gender specific knee replacement (female knee replacement) was introduced in India in April 2007. Since then several women have successfully undergone this surgery. Watch a presentationon Gender specific knee replacement. Watch a Gender knee replacement operation here.
Q. What is the Gender specific knee or woman knee replacement?
A. It is the first total knee replacement implant or prosthesis developed by Zimmer for the female anatomy specifically.
Q. Are women’s knees different?
A. Though it has long been known that there were marked differences in the skeleton of men and women, it has only been realized recently that there are significant differences in the knee joint between men and women.
Q. How does the Gender knee implant differ from the rest?
A. All orthopedic implant companies offer several sizes of knee implants. Only the Gender specific knee has a different shape from a Non gender implant.
So the Gender knee has some features in shape that differentiate it from the non gender implant. These are Has a thinner profile for women, so the knee feels more natural and has a greater range of motion
The angle at which the knee cap or patella sits in the lower end of the thigh bone is 7 degrees unlike zero in normal knees. This ensures that the knee cap tracks more normally and thus is designed for more natural movement - more like the natural knee
Has a contoured shape proportioned to fit the female anatomy as it is narrower from side to side. This ensures the implant does not overhang the bone and potentially press on, or damage surrounding ligaments and tendons.
Q. What are the main potential benefits of fitting a woman with the Zimmer® Gender Solutions™ knee implant?
A. The Zimmer Gender Solutions knee is contoured to fit the different shape and size of female knees, which gives a better fit and more natural movement because it is proportioned to the female anatomy.
Q. Does the Zimmer® Gender Solutions™ knee allow a quicker recovery process for the patient?
A.- The Zimmer Gender Solutions knee is contoured to fit the shape and size of female knees to give a better fit and more natural movement. As a result the patient may be back to normal activity sooner, however the patient is advised the normal recovery time.
When the Zimmer Gender Solutions knee implant is used in conjunction with a (MIS) or (LIS) knee replacement procedure, patients will have a smaller scar as shown here, a shorter hospital stay and a quicker recovery time.
Q. Is it more complicated to fit the Zimmer® Gender Solutions™ knee implant than a traditional knee implant?
A. The Zimmer Gender Solutions knee should be easier to fit since it is designed specifically for the female knee and does not require adjustments to the bone or ligaments or try out different sizes of implants.
Q. Does the Zimmer Gender knee confer High flexion?
The Gender specific knee is designed to provide high flexion, provided the patient has an ideal thigh calf index, is not obese and is motivated to achieve high flexion through vigorous physiotherapy. It is a High flex TKR.
Q. Do surgeons need specific / additional training to fit the Zimmer® Gender Solutions™ knee implant?
The Zimmer Gender specific solutions knee is implanted using existing surgical techniques, including a minimally invasive surgery procedure, which typically offers smaller scars, shorter hospitalization and quicker recovery.
Dr.A.K.Venkatachalam has undergone the necessary training for MIS ( Minimal invasive surgery) at the Zimmer institute.
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