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