Key tips on Gender Specific knee replacement

About Knees

In our body, the knees are the most complex joints as they allow not only our leg to bend and straighten, but also twist and turn. In fact, we use our knees for a wide range of movements. But, a painful knee can make it harder to perform everyday activities as well as enjoy an active life. Today, there are various treatment options available for knee problem and one of them is total knee replacement.

Total knee replacement is surgery to remove the parts of the knee that are damaged and replace them with new parts. Knee replacement is one of the most popular and successful surgeries to ease patient’s pain and get him/her moving again. After healing from surgery, patients will be able to get back to many of things they generally do like walking, dancing, swimming, golfing and running. But for many female patients, a general total knee replacement usually causes mismatch. In such cases, Gender Specific knee replacement is performed which is actuality the same procedure as a regular total knee replacement.

What is a gender-specific knee replacement?

Gender-specific total knee is a prosthesis that is specifically designed either for a male or a female to more closely match the anatomy of the female knee, aiming to be a better fit resulting in better outcomes for women. The size of the implant is slightly different to accommodate for the slightly different size of the bones between genders.

How a gender-specific implant is different from general knee replacement?

In general, implant designs have been developed using "average" size data. This implies that the makers of implants tried to find the "average" size at a joint, and then design implants that are both slightly larger and slightly smaller than the average.

On the other hand, gender-specific implants are made in a similar way, but the average size of implant is different for a man's bone and a woman's bone. The objective of designing such implants is to better replicate the normal anatomy and the joint replacement implants may allow for better function, as well as improved durability.

How much effective gender-specific knee replacement is?

With the Gender Specific knee replacement, patients, especially female, can actually have an implant specifically made to fit them. And, this may help them achieve the goals of better function or improved durability.

Asking for a gender-specific implant?

Before making any decision, it is always better to discuss with your surgeons because sometimes solutions are created for problems that don't necessarily exist. Your doctor is the right person who will tell if a gender-specific knee replacement is actually right. Plus, he will also tell you that implants already come in a variety of sizes that will accommodate almost any patient's anatomy.