Articles

Knee Surgery Breakthrough

New implant could mean less fuss, less pain for early arthritis sufferers.
By Marc Levenson, Tech Live

For arthritic patients like 68-year-old Ludmilla Smith, the solution to painful bowlegged knees often means surgery to replace the whole knee. "I know a man who had a knee replaced, and he had a lot of problems after the surgery," she said. "So I absolutely don't want a replacement." Tonight's "Tech Live" reports on a possible alternative.

Until recently, at least 100,000 arthritic patients each year had to choose between surgery and a life of pain. Arthritis erodes the cartilage that's sandwiched between two knee bones. Without that natural cushion, bone grinds on bone. Smith needs a cane as she hobbles past her bed at San Francisco's Saint Francis Hospital. "It just got worse where I can hardly walk because of the pain," she said.

But new alternatives such as Sulzer Orthopedics' UniSpacer offer patients such as Smith a new and simpler option.

"When I heard about it, I knew I had to get it," Smith said.

New hope for sufferers

The UniSpacer replaces the damaged cartilage. It's made of molded cobalt chrome, it's shaped like a kidney, and it's about as big as a large peanut. During a one-hour surgical procedure, it's inserted between two knee bones. Tension keeps the UniSpacer in place, but its rounded shape allows bones to glide on its surface.

"Our goal is to postpone a total knee replacement as long as possible," UniSpacer co-developer Dr. Richard Hallock said.

It takes an hour for Dr. Thomas Sampson, a Saint Francis orthopedic surgeon, to arthroscopically clean out what's left of Smith's damaged cartilage, or meniscus, and then insert a UniSpacer to fill the gap. His surgical tools include a variety of UniSpacer implants to fit different sizes.

"They can make special sizes, but there is a set range," he said.

There's also a limit to who qualifies. The UniSpacer works only in cases of early arthritis, where the damage is treatable. The implant only provides relief. It doesn't reverse or correct the effects of arthritis.

But for Smith it's worth the effort to try a new option.

"If I could just walk normally like normal people," she said, "I'd be glad or at least without all that pain."

Tech TV Article(orig)
Posted July 10, 2002
Last aired on: Thursday 7/11, 4 p.m. Eastern