I have a particular interest in the OrthoGlide implant which has just received FDA approval in the USA as an alternative to partial or total knee replacement in selected patients. In fact I will be part of a group of physicians touring France and the UK in Spring of 2007 to present our findings.

The OrthoGlide implant is inserted within the knee joint to replace some of the cartilage function lost to osteoarthritis. The procedure requires significantly less tissue and no bone removal as other replacement options do.

We are trying to maintain a patient's natural knee as long as possible. And although we don't know yet if we'll be able to totally avoid a knee replacement, things are looking very positive with our early results. Patients report much quicker recovery times with less physical therapy than a partial or total knee replacement. They also experience pain relief and a good range of motion after undergoing the hour-long procedure. However, it is still too early to know for how long the implant will last and if these patients will still need the more extensive standard operation.

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Biological joint restoration has had a high success rate in our clinic – but only in carefully selected patients. For example, with the exception of microfracture, these procedures are generally not suitable for persons over 59 years of age, persons more than 30% above their maximum ideal body mass, and people who smoke (although many smokers have had successful results after giving up smoking). For patients over 60 or 65 years of age joint replacement is usually a better option. However for suitable patients, like the patient presented here, joint restoration offers many potential benefits. The procedures are all FDA approved and paid for by all major insurance companies. In coming years advances in technology will continue to increase their applicability to more and more people who need them. Even now it is safe to say that virtually all patients under 60 with knee disability can be helped sufficiently such that total knee replacement should virtually never be necessary.

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Interpositional knee discs are implants that are intended to improve the alignment and function of an arthritic knee without removing any existing bone - an exciting concept! Current interpositional knee discs include the Unispacer and the OrthoGlide.

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