It is said that God created everybody differently. This holds true for men and women as well. By nature and anatomy, women are different from men. Contrary to popular belief, research indicates that a woman’s knee is not just a smaller version of a man’s knee, the difference extends to bones, ligaments, tendons. And because of smaller bones in Asians and Indians, it is imperative to follow a conservative bone-cutting and a specific implant to the bone fit.
So, if women need a knee replacement surgery, it makes sense to design knee implants while particularly considering that women form a majority of knee replacement patients.
Dr Manuj Wadhwa, director and head, Max Elite Institute of Orthopedics and Joint Replacement says, “As more women are coming in for knee replacement, it is becoming apparent that old knee replacements, while highly successful in “The new knee is female-specific. This knee can be placed with minimally invasive techniques, so you can recover faster. Plus, it can safely accommodate a full range of motion, from standing to bending,” says Dr. Wadhwa.
He adds that it promises an enhanced range of motion and closest fit to the female alleviating pain, may not feel or move like a natural knee. Women’s knees tend to be narrower as their pelvis is wider. At Max Elite, we decided to launch a knee that is designed to accommodate those differences.” patients. The new implants can offer deep flexion (full bending of knee).
He says that the number of Indian women going in for knee replacement has risen significantly. In India, there is high prevalence of osteoarthritis in women, 75-80% of which, lead to knee replacement surgeries. Most ortho surgeons, thus, had to make adjustments in old implants, before fitting them into these patients. Mostly, knee implants have thickness in front, which gives a bulky feeling to the patient. If an implant is fitted incorrectly, it may extend slightly beyond the width of bone, which can potentially damage the tendons and ligaments around your knee and lead to joint pain.
Hailing the technological revolutions in gender focussed Asian-specific knee implants, Dr Wadhwa says that today’s implants have been designed to address the contours and dimensions of smaller bone sizing for women and larger for men, offering a more accurate fit. These new technology implants, have dynamic sizing aspect, making it fret-free for patient and the surgeon. When an orthopaedic surgeon chooses the right implant for you, he also considers your individual needs and the types of activities you engage in after the knee replacement surgery.
“Thus, it cannot be over emphasised to say that the most suitable shape and fit produces the best results.
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