Interpositional Knee Discs

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.

 

The Unispacer

The UniSpacer™ procedure is relevant to patients with joint space narrowing on one side of the knee, where the joint cartilage (‘articular cartilage’) is becoming damaged by the altered forces through the knee. The Unispacer restores knee function, alignment and stability by replacing missing cartilage with a single metallic implant. The patient’s own knee is preserved and a patient’s body weight does not appear to be an issue. There is no dramatic bone resection or any metallic/cement fixation required, as a patient’s own ligaments allow for implant and knee stability. The knee is not compromised with regard to possible future complete (or even partial) knee replacement operation(s).

The OrthoGlide

The OrthoGlide™ implant is a device used for patients who have exhausted all other conventional therapies and yet are not ready for a more invasive total knee replacement (TKR). The OrthoGlide™ is a metallic medial hemiarthroplasty implant used to reduce pain and discomfort, and to correct angular abnormalities in patients with osteoarthritis of the medial compartment of the knee. The implant associates with the lower half of the knee joint, barely moves, and involves no major bone cuts, removal, cement or screws. It has a retaining flange designed to maintain position within the joint space. The smooth glide path, and fixation by the posterior lip provide a low friction, stable implant that can be implanted by a minimally invasive technique.

 

Author

Dr David H Trotter

Knee Surgeon

Based at the Center for Sports Orthopaedics in the USA, Dr. David Trotter is Board Certified and a Diplomate of the American Academy of Orthopaedics Surgeons. Having developed and integrated a specific surgical combination of ...read more

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