KNEE ARTHRITIS - Total Knee Replacement :
New Smaller incisions, and instruments for TKR - - Posted by Teresa_S (Teresa_S), 10 January 2005
As I live in Mo, and have a tkr that has never been right, even after a partial revison, to fix the part where the safety screw broke off in my knee and eventually lodged in the spacer, I have looked and looked for help. I read on the univ. of MO site, that Dr. Bal and an engineer from the Univ. OF MO, have/are developing new instruments that enable them to put in total knees through (I believe) two smaller incisions, as they developed instruments that will fit, thus sparing the quad being cut to get to the knee, and making recovery not only faster, but easier.Not cutting the quad makes the PT so much better. They are also developing/using a computer system like the navigation system in cars, that allows the knee to be sized, and aligned with the ankle and hip by scanning, instead of inserting the probes in the femur and tibia. LESS chance of injury there and infection. He also worked to develop the 2 inch incision for hip replacements and has been featured on many journals. Is anyone aware of this being done elsewhere, or had the surgery for tkr sparing the quad?. It certainly would have been beneficial to me, as the second cutting and sewing of the quad on my revision, has made mine almost impossible to use now.
Teresa
Posted by kath (kath), 11 January 2005
Hi Teresa,
I saved an article which was in my local paper regarding this surgery...the article was from Washington Associated Press. I live in Canada, so am not familiar with the Drs or the places they practice.
It mentions Dr Richard Berger as offering the procedure...I assume he is in Washington. Dr Alfred Tria pioneered the method and is with New Jersey's Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Tria and Dr. Thomas Coon of Redding California developed the method and asked Zimmer Inc to make the specialized instruments.
The surgery involves implanting a replacement joint through a 7.5 centimetre incision without cutting the muscle or tendon. The surgery is not suitable for everyone...people who are obese, over age 80, have had other non-arthroscopic knee surgery or are very knock-kneed or bow-legged don't qualify.
Hope this helps! kath
Posted by Teresa_S (Teresa_S), 11 January 2005
Kath, Thanks for the info. The article I read states that Dr. Bal and an engineer are making and adapting their own instruments to do the procedure. He has also , along with two OS from Florida, mad a new unicompartmental knee. I went to him and although he advertises that he can help everyone and welcomes everyone he told me he would not help me due to the fact the knee was put in by another dr. (one he sent me to as he said he did not have time to do my knee) and also told me the other dr. had put in a knee with :"less than satisfactory outcome., IT needed to come out, check for a bone infection, and another type put in" then he told me he wasn't legally responsible as he didn't put it in, and he was going to law school . IT all took me by surprise, as he is on myinsurance provider list, and is less than a hundred miles away. THE site even encourages all people in this area with problems to come there, but he point blank sent me out of his office. I rather imagine he doesn;t want me in his statistics, as he greatly encouraged me at first, and asked to scope both knees, and afterwards, kept just telling me he "didn't have time to do my surgery." but he was only scheduling 6 weeks away, and never even gave me a tentative date to accept or refuse. IT was all really strange. He is the only one less than 220 miles away that might be able to help me and he refuses but won't tell me why. Thanks, Teresa
Updated Mon Dec 1 2008