What’s new in knee replacement?
For a patient considering knee replacement surgery, there are developments under study which may help enhance the results of surgery. Some remain experimental and some have early/medium term outcomes available. These include:
- Use of Cementless parts that allow new bone to grow into a porous prosthesis and hold the parts in place, creating a biologic fixation
- Use of bioactive joint surfaces such as hydroxyapatite
- The use of mobile-bearing knee replacement in which a polyethylene insert creates a dual-surface articulation by articulating with the femoral as well as tibial components. This may enhance the life of the implant by reducing wear.
- Development of systems with improved kinematics more like those of the native knee
- Better fixation
- Use of navigation-guided surgery that involves the use of computer navigation to ensure accuracy of implantation
- Personalised surgical equipment cutting guides to perform the surgery
- Personalised implants
- The use of robots to more accurately implant prostheses