Have you been told that you need a knee replacement in young age ? You are not alone. Increasingly large number of young patients are getting knee replacements.
To quote some figures, 27 percent of TKR recipients are between 18 and 64 years. The common causes of knee damage in young are major accidents, obesity, childhood deformities and infections.
You might be in a dilemma to get a knee replacement if this is the only medical option. 
But life is short. Why suffer? The good news is that knee replacements with durable materials and smart tools can relieve your pain forever. I introduced Oxinium knee in Chennai in 2008, Journey Oxinium knee in 2009, Visionaire knee in 2012 and CR Verilast knee in 2013. The other recent advance of interest to young patients is the I-Assist smart tool. This allows accurate intra operative positioning of components. Accurately positioned components will last longer.
Oxinium or oxidized zirconim is a composite metal with a ceramic coating. In the manufacturing process, prosthetic components made of Zirconium are heated and infused with oxygen to create a ceramic surface on a metal base. Other durable material to be implanted by me is the Prolonged Plastic insert. This is made of highly cross linked plastic. These durable knees can last for 35 years.
Advantages of Zirconium knees
The main advantage of Zirconium knee implants is that it is considerably harder. On testing it lasts 85 times longer in tests that simulate the stresses inside the actual knee. Additional advantages are scratch resistance. When it is wet, ceramic can glide smoothly along plastic, making for smoother motion than with metal-on-plastic. As a result, the Ceramic Oxinium total knee replacement will not generate the quantity of plastic wear debris that cobalt chrome will, and the implants should last considerably longer. Zirconium is one of the six most biocompatible elements know to man. So, your immune system will more easily tolerate your new implant. Lastly, patients who are allergic to nickel, the metal most often used in the current implants, cannot currently receive total knee replacements. The ceramic implant, however, can be implanted safely in patients with nickel allergy, since it contains a zirconium alloy with no nickel. Implants made of Oxinium have been implanted in larger number of patients in India with great success.
Who would benefit most from an Oxinium total knee replacement?
Three categories of patients have been identified as the “best” candidates for an Oxinium total knee replacement.
1) “Younger” patients: Because Oxinium knee implants offer significantly less wear compared to cobalt chrome implants, they are expected to last considerably longer. In the past, orthopedic surgeons have advised patients less than 65 years of age to wait to have knee replacement surgery because the life span of the cobalt chrome knee implants is only 10-15 years. Now, surgeons have a viable option for a younger patient who previously would not be a candidate for a total knee replacement. Oxinium knee implants should last much longer upto 35 years.
2) “Active” patients: Patients, who desire to return to an active lifestyle, including sports, dancing, gardening, or other strenuous activities, may also benefit from an Oxinium knee replacement. As a result of their high activity level, this patient population will put more “wear and tear” on their knee replacement, which can cause the implants to wear more quickly. An Oxinium knee is better able to tolerate this high activity level and last longer that the traditional cobalt chrome knee.
3) Metal allergy patients: Because Oxinium is one of the most biocompatible materials known to man, it is the only choice for patients who exhibit metal allergies. Patients who have needed total knee replacement surgery, but could not tolerate the cobalt chrome implants due to their nickel content, can now have the surgery they need to return to an active lifestyle without the fear of an allergic reaction.
Case studies –
See story of a young patient who received an Oxinium knee replacement implanted through computer assisted surgery (CAS) here-
Watch a testimonial of a patient who received bilateral Journey knees here
We offer durable knee replacement with smart tools like I-Assist . Smart tools allow perfect alignment of bone cuts. If your knees are perfectly aligned, they will have less wear and will last long. Thus you can avoid another future surgery.
If you need a durable knee replacement in young age, just mail drvenkat@kneeindia.com for a quick appointment.
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