RESEARCH AND LEARN
Verilast 30 Year Knee Replacement
Information Provided by Smith & Nephew
So we developed VERILAST Knee Technology — a combination of remarkable materials that were tested to simulate 30 years of wear performance. That’s more than twice the length of testing of knee replacements made from traditional materials.
VERILAST Knee Technology builds on the OXINIUM material’s decade of success, joining this lightweight, hypoallergenic metal with a special “highly cross-linked” plastic that is more resistant to common implant wear. When these two surfaces work together in the joint, they do amazing and unprecedented things:
- In rigorous lab testing, Smith & Nephew’s LEGION CR knee made with exclusive VERILAST technology was subjected to 45 million cycles, or simulated steps. That’s equal to around 30 years of physical activity.
- The testing showed that after 5 million cycles, the knee made with VERILAST technology reduced 98% of the wear experienced by the knee made with traditional implant materials. And when the LEGION CR knee with VERILAST technology kept “walking” out to 45 million cycles, it reduced 81% of the wear experienced by the conventional knee implant that was stopped after the first 5 million cycles.
So while we cannot say we’ve eliminated a leading cause of implant failure, we believe our 20 years of dedicated research are paying off for patients who would like to rediscover their go after surgery.
Kathy's Story After Anterior Hip Replacement
Kathy and her family have always been active. Her husband runs half marathons, her daughter is a girls’ basketball coach, and Kathy enjoys walking, running, and hiking. Together, for many years, they have done the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, the largest 10 K in the world held each year on the Fourth of July.
For the past few years, however, the pain in her right hip has kept Kathy from doing many of the activities she enjoys. At age 50, she was referred to Dr Jeffrey Burnette, an orthopedic surgeon in Macon, Georgia.
“He X-Rayed it and found out I have osteoarthritis really bad,” Kathy remembers. “At the time, I was not ready to do a total hip replacement. I couldn’t get my mind to go there yet.”
“My sister-in-law has had four hip replacements,” she explains. “I’ve seen what she had to go through – not being able to sit up, not being able to sleep on her side, and having to be on her back more. I just didn’t want to go there, so I just put it off as long as I could.”
At that time Dr Burnette did a hip arthroscopy, which bought Kathy some more time. But she knew it was only a temporary fix. In October 2010, while out of town with her family at a University of Georgia football game, Kathy had a really bad flare up of the pain in her hip.
“I knew it was getting back to the way it was before I had the arthroscopy,” she shares. “I didn’t want to do surgery unless there was actually no other choice, but I knew it was coming. The pain was too great. When you can’t go and enjoy things that you’ve done all your life, it’s a bummer.”
In December 2010, Kathy had a total hip replacement of her right hip with the Direct Anterior Approach. She could not be more pleased with the results.
“I was able to be at my daughter’s basketball games about a week and a half after my surgery,” she notes. “I have told everybody I can, and people just cannot believe the difference between this type of approach and the traditional approach.”
Her sister-in-law actually had a conventional hip replacement the same day Kathy did, and she was amazed at the differences in their recovery time and process.
“I can’t say enough about the direct anterior approach,” Kathy adds. “One of my physical therapists made the comment to me that if we could do for other joints what this procedure has done for hips, it would totally revolutionize orthopedic medicine. They all were just amazed.”
Kathy is walking and exercising with her family again, and has enjoyed being able to get back to doing many of the things they enjoy doing together. “I’m so pleased. I just want to shout it from the rooftops.”
www.rediscoveryourgo.com
Direct Anterior Approach Hip Replacement
If you’ve been told you are a candidate for hip replacement surgery, you may benefit from a new minimally invasive surgical technique called Direct Anterior hip replacement surgery. Put simply, this technique changes the direction from which a surgeon can access your hip joint.
With the Direct Anterior approach, your specially trained orthopedic surgeon is able to repair your painful hip through a natural space between the muscles of the anterior (front) portion of the hip, rather than making the incision on the posterior (back) side, which causes damage to the muscles that make up the primary support system for the joint. These are the muscles you spend weeks and months rehabilitating after surgery.
During this procedure, after a small incision is made — typically 3 to 5 inches in length — the hip joint is exposed between the anterior muscles, without the need to cut tissue or detach tendons. Once access is gained, the arthritic femoral head and neck and the acetabulum are prepared for the insertion of the hip replacement implant, just as in a traditional procedure.
The hip replacement is comprised of metal and plastic components that replace the ball-and-socket elements of the hip joint. They are secured within the femur (thighbone) and acetabulum (hip socket) either with bone cement or by “press-fit,” meaning the implants are shaped to achieve stability without bone cement. Through the use of X-rays, physicians can ensure the implants have the proper fit and alignment to ensure comfort and a natural range-of-motion after surgery.
Advantages to utilizing the Direct Anterior approach:
- This minimally invasive technique allows the surgeon to access the joint through a smaller incision, which can mean a smaller scar.
- Preserving the soft tissue surrounding the joint allows for immediate stability following surgery, as well as a lower risk of dislocation, as the primary support muscles are left intact.
- Patients may have a shorter hospital stay, as there are typically fewer complications and faster healing time associated with this technique.
Anterior Hip Replacement Lunch-N-Learn
Dr. Bill Barnes gave a presentation on Anterior Hip Replacement on January 13, 2011 at Coliseum Northside Hospital. The presentation was in conjunction with a series of lunch-n-learns presented by Piedmont Orthopaedic Complex. Attendees were treated to a free lunch, and the opportunity to learn more about the innovative surgical technique that has transformed the lives of many patients that previously suffered with chronic hip pain. For more information on Anterior Hip Replacement or lunch-n-learn seminars offered by Piedmont Orthopaedic Complex, please contact Holly Taylor at 478.405.2350.
