The Unispacer Knee System Implant
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By: Sara M. Aksoy
A newly developed surgical implant for the knee has raised a great deal of interest in the arthritis community. Sulzer Medica’s UniSpacer knee implant is now a possible alternative for patients in the early stages of arthritis in the knee, offering alleviation of pain without the invasiveness of a total joint replacement.
Traditionally, arthritis patients who no longer responded to non-surgical treatments had as their final resort a total knee replacement (TKR). While the TKR surgery replaces the arthritic joint, offering optimal relief from pain, it also requires the irreversible removal of bone. For this reason, some individuals, specifically the younger, have often been advised against a TKR for fear that the removal will prove detrimental in the future.
The UniSpacer offers an alternative approach for surgical treatment that does not require the bone to be cut. Instead, the implant, a metal device resembling a flattened kidney bean, is designed to fit like a wedge in the joint, between the ends of the femur, or thigh bone, and tibia, or shin bone. In this location, the implant, matching the natural shape of the bone, is able to move with the joint, providing a smooth surface on which to glide.
Because of its design, the UniSpacer implant is effective only for patients with arthritis in the medial compartment, or inner half, of the knee. Additionally, because the UniSpacer depends on the ligaments of the joint for stabilization, individuals with ACL or PCL damage are not eligible for the procedure.
The surgery, which lasts about one hour, begins with preparation of the joint. During this time, the surgeon enters the joint arthroscopically, using small incisions through which he enters tools and a camera, which projects the joint onto a television screen. Any loose or flaky cartilage is removed as well as bone spurs. A small incision is then made from which the implant is inserted.
Recovery from a UniSpacer surgery is much quicker than that from a total joint replacement as no muscle or bone is cut in the process. In fact, surgery is often done on an out-patient basis so no following hospital stay is typically required.
As the UniSpacer is still very new on the market, its long-term effects are yet to be seen. The current goals of the product are to relieve arthritis symptoms and avoid or delay a total knee replacement. To find out more about the UniSpacer, visit www.unispacer.com .