Total Knee Replacement is now a commonly performed surgery for knee arthritis. Gone are when it was reserved for old patients in the 70s or 80s with severe deformities. We see more and more patients getting advanced arthritis at a younger age thanks to obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Total Knee Replacement is also performed in younger patients, especially females with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Hence the need for a more durable and better functioning implant is increasing.
The knee replacement procedure involves:
- Removing the worn-out surface of the natural knee joint and replacing it with an artificial one.
- Correcting the bony deformity.
- Rebalancing the ligaments around the knee into an appropriate alignment and stability.
The implant design hasn’t changed drastically over the last 40 years, and it includes a socket that goes on the lower end of the thigh bone (femur), a flat plate with a keel that goes in the shin bone (tibia), and a plastic (polyethylene) spacer in between the two. This plastic component is generally firmly attached to the tibial component, and the movement in the knee is between the femoral component and the plastic spacer.
Over time, the softer component wears out; the metallic femoral component is much more complex and will wear out the plastic. A ceramic component has a lower hardness which drastically reduces the wear of the polyethelene insert. Moreover, the wear also depends on the smoothness of the surfaces. Ceramic has a much smoother surface than conventional metals, and hence it reduces the potential for wearing out of the polyethelene liner.
As the Indian population is getting obese, there are more and more younger patients who require Knee Replacement surgery, making it necessary for a more durable implant that lasts for years, despite the impactful activity. Oxinium is a breakthrough material used in the latest Knee Replacement surgeries, which provides a hoard of benefits to patients, allowing for a safer, effective, and durable implant. Here is what you should know about Oxinium Knee Replacement surgery.
Ceramic as a bearing surface has become the implant of choice for most hip replacements and has a proven track record in terms of reduction in wear rate of the polyethelene thus increasing the implant life. The same philosophy has been applied to the knee joint using oxidised Zirconium (Oxinium) Femoral component in the Oxinium Total Knee Replacement implant. This is coupled with a Titanium tibial base plate and a highly cross-linked polyethelene insert.
As a surgeon, I feel much more comfortable in offering this implant to most of my patients, especially the younger patients, since I can confidently assure them that there is a perfect chance that this implant will last for 20 years or more after the surgery.
Oxinium, also called oxidized zirconium is a metal alloy with a ceramic surface. Comprising of 97.5 Zirconium and 2.5 Niobium, both of which are biocompatible metals, Oxinium implants are known to be well tolerated by the body, preventing metal allergies, as well as offering durability.
The Oxinium Knee Replacement surgery offers a number of advantages over the traditional Knee implants:
Highly-durable
Oxinium is a hard metal, proven to last 85 times longer than its previous counterparts. Its scratch resistance feature minimizes abrasive scratching. Oxinium withstands repeating sliding and rotating in the socket, along with a high range of motion, allowing it to last much longer, suitable for younger patients as well as obese patients.
Resistant to wear and tear
Knee implants typically have a plastic insert with a femoral component, which rubs against each other during movement. Oxinium implants are covered with a ceramic coating, which offers more excellent resistance to wear and tear than metal-on-plastic. Ceramic-on-plastic generates considerably fewer plastic wear debris than cobalt chrome, allowing patients to live an active lifestyle without fear.
Biocompatible
Typical cobalt chrome implants contain nickel, which is known to cause metal allergies in many patients. Oxinium is the most biocompatible material, providing the best option for patients with metal allergies. They can undergo Oxinium Knee Replacement and resume an active lifestyle without the fear of developing an allergy.
Oxinium Knee Replacement surgery is proven to have numerous advantages, being the first choice for many patients. Dr.Yogesh Vaidya at Pinnacle Orthocentre Hospital Thane is among the foremost, highly-skilled Joint Replacement surgeons, renowned for his expertise in knee and hip replacement surgeries. He seamlessly blends cutting-edge technology with advanced techniques for flawless Oxinium Knee Replacement surgeries that guarantee success at every step.
0 Comments