Orthopaedic Surgeon Uses Knee Implant Designed for Women

Jacksonville, Florida, September 28, 2006 -- The first knee replacement shaped to fit a woman's anatomy is now available in Jacksonville. Orthopaedic surgeon R. Stephen Lucie, MD, with Baptist Medical Center Downtown is among the first physicians in the state to use the implant, which is expected to become widely available in the near future.

Nearly two-thirds of the more than 400,000 annual knee replacement surgeries in the U.S. are performed on women, and the numbers continue to increase each year. Recognizing that anatomically, a woman's knee has a distinctive shape in comparison to a man's knee, Zimmer designed the new Gender Solutions™ High-Flex Knee to be used in traditional and minimally invasive knee replacement surgeries.

Lucie says, "I was a little skeptical when the gender-specific knee was released since we had only occasionally seemed to have a problem fitting a woman's knee anatomy. Now that I have performed enough of these, I can see that the High-Flex Knee implant really does fit women better and addresses some issues with the knee cap, which present a problem in females.

"The combination of the gender-specific knee and minimal-incision surgery has proven to be an ideal situation for women as it provides both quick and early rehab, better cosmetics and excellent function."

The Gender Solutions Knee implants address the following three research-documented, shape-related differences of the thighbone portion of the typical woman's knee:

Narrower shape, proportioned to female anatomy -- The Gender Solutions High-Flex is proportionally contoured to the entire bone to provide a more precise fit.

Thinner shape -- The Gender Solutions implant is thinner in shape in the front so the knee replacement more appropriately matches the natural female anatomy.

More natural tracking -- The Gender Solutions Knee was designed to accommodate the different tracking angle and function more like a woman's natural knee.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, "Medicine Isn't Gender Neutral," "the differences between men and women are turning out to be significant in the diagnosis and treatment in everything from heart disease to depression." In fact, 10 years ago, the government and medical community changed the rules for research to include gender-inclusive studies. The results are changing the way medicine, including orthopaedics, is being practiced. Lucie is at the forefront of this innovation.

For more information about knee replacement and other orthopaedic procedures, visit Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute.