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There is some interest these days in gender specific knee replacement with the Zimmer gender knee due in large part to the marketing efforts the implant manufacturer. Women represent a larger percentage of the knee replacement market with 60% of knee replacements being done in women. It is well known by all surgeons that the anatomy of a woman’s knee is slightly different than that of a man. Theoretically it has been suggested that a knee implant designed specifically for the slight variation in a women’s knee, such as the Zimmer knee replacement, would result in a better function of the knee for women. Unfortunately, several award winning scientific studies on this topic have failed to present convincing data to prove this theory true.
Traditionally, replacement implants have been designed based on an "average" shape of all knees with each manufacturer having its own take on this idea. As there are bigger and smaller men and women, so are implants available in a wide range of sizes. This available implant variation created by all major implant manufacturers has proven over time to be quite satisfactory in providing accurate fit and function in the current population. The availability of gender specific knee replacements does not seem to offer any substantive advantage over currently available designs.
To learn more about total knee replacement, call Dr. Zehr at 239-596-0100.
