Building you a better knee
Dr. Meier and Dr. Mitchell use a new surgical procedure to create customized knee implants for patients at IVCH.
Replacement knee surgery that for the first time precisely matches the size and placement of the implant to the patient’s unique and normal knee anatomy is now being performed by orthopedic surgeons Peter Meier, MD, and Robert Mitchell, DO, at IVCH.
Developed by the California-based OtisMed Corporation, this new “custom fit” approach with the OtisKnee implant enables surgeons to preserve more bone and ligaments, allowing for better implant fit and alignment. For patients, Dr. Meier says a better fit can mean:
- A quicker and less painful recovery.
- Increased range of motion.
- A more natural-feeling knee.
- Greater ease in performing normal living activities, such as golfing, biking and gardening.
“We’re all unique,” Dr. Meier says. “This new kind of implant takes each patient’s individual differences into account. No two OtisKnee implants are alike. Each is custom-made for each of my patients.”
How it’s done
The custom-fit total knee replacement using the OtisKnee is achieved in a few steps, before and during surgery:
- Before surgery an MRI exam is performed to take very precise measurements of the patient’s arthritic knee. At IVCH patients benefit from having the exam done in the new, quieter, less claustrophobic MRI unit acquired by the hospital this year.
- Proprietary computer software creates a 3-D image of the knee and then virtually corrects the deformity to return the knee to its pre-arthritic state.
- Using Shape-Match technology, a 3-D image of the implant is created to exactly match the anatomically correct virtual knee. This helps determine the correct implant size and placement, based on the patient’s own normal (non-arthritic) knee anatomy.
- Finally, using all of this information, special cutting guides are created for the surgeon to use during the procedure. These patient-specific cutting guides, which are accurate to within a few millimeters, indicate to the surgeon exactly where to make bone cuts so that the knee replacement is customized for the individual patient.
Specific advantages
While no two surgical cases are alike, Dr. Meier and Dr. Mitchell say that using OtisKnee implants generally results in shorter surgeries, which reduces the time patients spend under anesthesia. Use of the new implants can also mean less postoperative pain for patients.
For an appointment with Dr. Meier or Dr. Mitchell, call their medical practice, Illinois Valley Orthopedics, at 815-223-2143. Learn more at www.ivorthopedics.com.