High Flex knee replacement India

A welcome boon for Indians with Knee osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis of knees  predominantly affects people in their sixties or seventies. Total knee replacement is a permanent solution to alleviate pain and improve quality of life. However there have been shortcomings in widespread acceptance of the procedure. There is a feeling amongst  Indians that the implants available in the market do not allow more than 100 degrees of knee bending. These patients complain that they are unable to squat on the floor or climb stairs with standard implants. Even computer assisted knee replacement  cannot achieve high flexion unless the prosthesis is designed to provide an extra bend. The claims of many centers that a rotating platform knee replacement can provide 155 degrees of flexion is spurious and false. Rotation alone cannot provide this much of knee bending.  The prosthesis must have special cutouts inbuilt in it to allow this high degree of flexion.

The lack of knee bending by other standard prosthesis including the rotating platform prosthesis is a great disadvantage to majority of South Indians who prefer to squat on the floor for prayer, social activities and meals. So, many people refrain from undergoing knee surgery in India and suffer in silence.

Now with the advent of a new type of prosthesis, people need not be deterred from having a knee replacement.  A new prosthesis allows knee bending up to 155 degrees though not automatically.  The patient has to be motivated to regain high knee flexion and participate in early and aggressive physiotherapy.  They should not be obese and the pre operative knee bend should be above 90 degrees. This prosthesis is implanted by special instrumentation which is minimally invasive and does not damage the tissues. Hence post operative pain is less and rehabilitation is faster

High flexion knee prosthesis - Special knee implants are now available in India. These allow the knee to function more naturally by providing more flexion or bending. This satisfies Indian, and South Asian requirements of  kneeling for prayer, sitting cross legged on the ground for meals or social purposes. Muslims in particular need this to offer prayers. Japanese customs also require high knee flexion. Even westerners have begun to appreciate the benefits of high flexion knee prosthesis as they can pursue hobbies like gardening and are also gratified for the ability to do recreational activities. Special instrumentation allows the operation to be performed through a modified new surgical approach without dividing the thigh muscles (Quadriceps). Hence post op pain is less and the patient will cooperate with the physiotherapist to do the required exercises regularly.

These high flex knees have been inserted into local and international patients in Chennai recently by Dr.Venkatachalam, Consultant orthopaedic surgeon, Chennai.