Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas Offers New Knee Replacement Implant Specifically Designed for Women

Contact: Ashley Howland, 214-820-7540
Email: ashlehow@baylorhealth.edu

(DALLAS, July 26, 2006) - Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas is now offering female candidates for knee replacement an implant made just for them. The Gender SolutionsT High-Flex Knee, from Zimmer, Inc., is the first knee replacement designed specifically to fit a woman's anatomy. The new implant design received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2006.

The knee joint is made up of three bones held together by ligaments and tendons and cushioned by cartilage. Injury, arthritis or infection can cause the cartilage to deteriorate, leading the bones to grind against each other resulting in severe pain. Knee replacements are usually necessary when this pain can no longer be sustained.

"While most women are very satisfied with traditional knee replacements, there is still room for improvement," says Jay Mabrey, M.D., chief of orthopaedic surgery, Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. "Previous knee replacement designs were based upon a combination of measurements from both male and female knees."

The Gender SolutionsT High-Flex Knee was designed based on three distinct shape differences between women's and men's knees. To identify these differences, researchers used computerized tomography (CT) scanning to create a highly detailed three-dimensional map of the female knee. This study revealed three important differences between male and female knees:

1. A woman's knee has a narrower shape: Typically, women's knees are narrower from side to side and are shaped similar to a trapezoid, whereas a man's knee has a rectangular shape. When determining the appropriate size for an implant, orthopaedic surgeons measure the knee from side-to-side and front-to-back. However, an implant that fits from front-to-back may not fit side-to-side and vice versa. The Gender SolutionsT High-Flex Knee is proportionally contoured to the entire bone structure.

2. A woman's knee has a thinner shape: The patella, the bone in the front of the knee, is usually less prominent in a woman's knee, therefore the artificial joint may feel "bulky," which can result in pain and decrease optimal function. The High-Flex knee is thinner in shape so it more appropriately matches the natural female anatomy.

3. A woman's knee has more natural tracking: As opposed to men, women tend to have a different angle between the pelvis and the knee because of their specific shape and contour. Therefore, a traditional knee replacement may have to 'track' at a different angle causing a woman's range of motion to feel awkward. The High-Flex Knee is designed to accommodate this different tracking angle.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, women make up nearly two-thirds of the more than 400,000 annual knee replacements in the United States.

Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, a 997-bed not-for-profit academic hospital, is a major patient care and research center in the southwest. In addition to its level one trauma center, Baylor Dallas is home to many nationally ranked centers of excellence including orthopaedics, transplantation, cardiovascular services, oncology, digestive diseases, neurosciences and gynecology. In 2006, U.S. News & World Report recognized Baylor Dallas for the 14th consecutive year in its "America's Best Hospitals" guide in several medical specialties. Baylor Dallas serves as the flagship hospital of Baylor Health Care System.

For more information about Baylor Dallas or the High-Flex Knee, call 1-800-4BAYLOR.