(NAPSA)—Medicine has taken a big step forward in the effort to help patients with activity-limiting knee arthritis. A surgical procedure used to treat osteoarthritis may help relieve pain through a minimally invasive partial knee resurfacing. About 70 million people in the U.S. are affected by arthritis, half of them over the age of 65. The disease affects more women than men, according to DePuy Orthopaedics, a Johnson & Johnson company. This new procedure uses a smaller incision and exposure to reduce surgical trauma resulting from knee replacement surgery. Doctors refer to procedures that use smaller openings as “minimally invasive” surgery. Early studies on small groups of patients suggest that, because the procedure is less invasive, hospital stays and recovery periods maybe shorter. Some background: The standard procedure for reconstructive knee surgery has been—and still is—total knee replacement. This procedure replaces the affected knee joint with artificial implants made of high-tech metal and plastic. More than 300,000 Americans undergo total knee replacement each year. Many of those with knee arthritis, however, can now benefit from the partial knee implant. Called a uni-compartmental knee implant, it replaces only one side of the patient’s arthritic knee, preserving about two-thirds of the patient’s natural, healthy knee tissue. For patients with isolated pain, indicating the presence of arthritis on only one side of their knee, uni-compartmental knee replacement offers hope for longer-term pain relief from arthritis, faster recovery time from knee replacement surgery and less scarring. For the right patient, the unicompartmental knee procedure offers important benefits. The Long-term pain relief and a shorter recovery time: two benefits of a new partial knee-replace- ment procedure. technique maintains more of the healthy elements of the knee, resulting in a more natural feel during activities. The procedure also offers the potential for reduced hospital stay. And most patients will have a less noticeable scar. DePuy’s minimally invasive product—the Preservation™ Unicompartmental Knee—is based on designs that have been successfully used for decades. By reducing the surgical incision and preserving more of the healthy knee, uni-compartmental knee procedures may encourage people to get help sooner, thus avoiding needless suffering. The procedure is not for everyone. As with any surgery, there are risks. Recovery takes time and hard work. Thelife of a new joint depends on weight, activity level, age and other factors. Each patient respondsdifferently. The most common adverse events following knee arthroplasty include loosening, deformation or wear of one or more of the components, osteolysis, infection and fracture of the components or bone. To learn more, visit www.join treplacement.com, or www.preser vation-uni.com.
