New Technology in Orthopaedics

December 3, 2015

One of the most interesting things about being an orthopedic surgeon is new technology. Sometimes there are good innovations, and sometimes the new technology doesn’t work.
In the case of a synthetic meniscus, the jury is still out as to whether or not an artificial meniscus can help patients suffering from knee pain after having surgery to remove most or all of their meniscus. The clinical trial mentioned in this news story is being conducted internationally in order to find out if relatively young patients can delay or avoid a knee replacement by inserting an artificial meniscus.

Please note that this implant would be for patients who have not yet developed arthritis. Currently patients who have pain and early arthritis are treated with hyaluronic (gel) injections, physical therapy, and when this doesn’t work, I consider a bone realigning procedure to take the stress off the part of the knee with less meniscus and thinner articular cartilage.