Bryn Mawr Hospital has become the first institution on the East Coast to offer "custom fit" total knee replacement with OtisKnee^TM. Using OtisKnee, orthopedic surgeons can for the first time precisely match the size and placement of the implant to the patient's unique and normal (non-arthritic) knee anatomy.

Developed by California-based OtisMed Corporation, this new "custom fit" approach with OtisKnee enables surgeons to preserve more bone and ligaments, allowing for better implant fit and alignment. OtisKnee physicians and patients have reported a quicker and less painful recovery, increased range of motion, a more "natural" feeling knee, and greater ease in performing normal living activities such as golfing, biking and gardening.

Joseph Vernace, MD of the Bryn Mawr Hospital Orthopedic Center is the first orthopedic surgeon in the Philadelphia region to use the OtisKnee technique. "I've seen recovery times reduced significantly, with most patients walking up and down stairs in just six weeks," says Dr. Vernace. "Also, my patients tell me their knees feel much more natural and normal."

OtisKnee Overview
More than 500,000 total knee replacements are performed in the United States each year, and this number is expected to grow to 3.4 million by 20301. Several trends are fueling this growth, including an aging population, increasing obesity rates and a demanding baby boomer generation that wants to stay active later in life.

Many improvements have been made in total knee replacement over the past few decades, including implant materials, nursing care and rehabilitation techniques. But the underlying technique the surgeon has used to fit the implant into the patient has not changed. This is an area in need of advancement, because everyone’s knees are different.

In fact, a recent clinical study on 180 normal knees showed that 98% were either bowlegged or knock-kneed by up to several degrees. These conditions, as well as other variables such as age, weight, ethnicity, gender and lifestyle, can have a tremendous impact on the success of a total knee replacement. Just slight variations in the way the implant fits can lead to pain, stiffness, instability and potentially shorter implant life. This may be why nearly 14% of total knee replacement patients have reported being either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their results after surgery.

Custom Fit Knee Replacement with OtisKnee
OtisKnee was developed by OtisMed Corporation to allow surgeons to provide total knee replacement procedure that is "custom fit" for each patient. Using OtisKnee, surgeons can for the first time match the size and placement of the implant to the individual patient's normal (non-arthritic) knee anatomy. This new "custom fit" approach enables surgeons to preserve more of the patient's own bone and ligaments, which allows for better implant fit and alignment. OtisKnee physicians and patients have reported quicker recovery times, greater range of motion and a quicker return to normal living activities such as golfing, biking and gardening.

How It Works
OtisKnee is based on OtisMed's patent-pending, proprietary Shape-Match technology and requires just a few steps, before and during surgery.

• Step 1: Prior to surgery, an MRI is performed to take very precise measurements of the patient's arthritic knee.
• Step 2: OtisMed's proprietary computer software creates a 3-D image of that knee. It then virtually corrects the deformity to return the knee to its pre-arthritic state.
• Step 3: A computerized 3-D image of the implant to be used in the patient's surgery is then Shape-Matched to the anatomically correct virtual knee model. This helps determine the correct implant size and placement, based on the patient's own normal (non-arthritic) knee anatomy.
• Step 4: Using all of this information, special cutting guides are then 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.

Key Benefits of Custom Fit Knee Replacement with OtisKnee
OtisKnee patients and physicians have reported:

• Greater range of motion, immediately after surgery and throughout recovery
• Better flexion to allow for more natural kneeling
• Quicker return to every day activity (driving, shopping, golfing)
• Shorter operative time, which reduces time under anesthesia
• Less post-operative pain

Surgeons performing the OtisKnee technique have reported:

• Faster, more streamlined surgery
• Far fewer instruments and implants needed in the operating room
• Ability to achieve reproducible results, patient after patient

Hospitals offering OtisKnee technology have reported:

• Faster, more cost-effective surgical set-up
• Improved operating room throughput
• Expedited patient discharge
• A cost-effective alternative to computer assisted operating systems, with potential for better outcomes and return on investment

For More Information...

• Visit the OtisMed Website.
• Contact the Bryn Mawr Hospital Orthopedic Center at 1-866-CALL-MLH.

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