Knee Replacement Design for Women

A new design for knee replacements in women is based on findings presented at the Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering Conference last year, has increased. The prosthetic is specifically designed for women to be able to account for the decreased size in the femur or thigh bones compared to men. The recent studies presented at the biomedical engineering conference showed that a woman’s femur is shaped differently than a man’s. These findings showed that a new design made for women could increase the mobility and comfort after knee replacements in women. During the surgery, the femur is fitted with a metal plate, which needs to be as close to the right size as possible. This new design is engineered to fit to a women’s femur. Dr. Nick London says, "Knee replacements have become a phenomenal success, but surgeons have noticed in the last few years that men and women are behaving differently after the operations. For a lot or women, the replacement doesn't quite match the end of the femur, and in the last few years that has made a difference to their pain." Dr. London, along with other specialists, believe that a variety of designs is always a good thing, and this may bring new hope to improving the quality of life for women patients.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6677531.stm