Fletcher Allen, a Vermont university hospital and medical center, serves all of
Vermont and the northern New York region. Located in Burlington, Fletcher Allen is a regional, academic healthcare center and teaching hospital in alliance with the University of Vermont.
New Knee Implant Available That May Double Useful Life to 30 Years - Safe for Patients with Metal Allergy
BURLINGTON VT – Surgeons in Fletcher Allen Health Care’s Orthopedic Health Care Service are using a new knee implant with a ceramic surface. This implant, 20% lighter with a dramatically smoother surface than conventional cobalt chrome implants, produces durability test results in simulated conditions that demonstrate it can last 30 years, or double the life of previously available implant technology. Made by Smith & Nephew, the new implant is known by the product name VERILAST.
“Physically active patients want to end their knee pain,” said David Halsey, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, Fletcher Allen Health Care and associate professor, University of Vermont College of Medicine. “I want to offer active patients a knee implant that lasts a long time and I’m pleased that FDA-cleared VERILAST technology has been wear-tested out to 30 simulated years. It’s a vast improvement over the current estimated useful implant lifespan of 10 to 15 years. This is not an incremental improvement; it’s a generational leap forward for active patients.”
“For a younger, more active patient, this is very good news,” said Dr. Halsey. “They get the pain relief they need, the mobility they want and the longevity they expect. The other significant improvement,” he continued, “is that it is hypoallergenic – there’s no nickel or chromium – two metals that can cause problems for patients who have metal sensitivity.”
Made up of three main parts, all total knee implants consists of a plastic insert positioned between two metal components. Over time, the movement of the metal component sliding against the plastic insert can wear down the plastic and cause it to fail. In some cases, tiny particles of the plastic can accumulate in the joint resulting in a condition known as osteolysis, or the softening of the bone around the joint. When this happens, the implant may shift or loosen, which leads to pain and instability in the joint.
Unlike knee implants made from cobalt chrome metal and a high-density plastic, the new technology is made from a proprietary metal alloy that produces a ceramic surface, and a specialized plastic-like material. By combining these two low-friction materials, the new knee implant device can significantly reduce the kind of wear that can cause an implant to wear out before its time.
Read Dr. Halsey’s blog on joint care at http://fletcherallenblog.wordpress.com/
Total Knee Replacement Facts
- Approximately 300 knee replacements are performed annually at Fletcher Allen
- Approximately 400,000 knee replacements are performed annually in the United States
- All total knee replacements consist of a three-part system: two metal components and a plastic insert between them
- Wear is a common issue with knee transplants. As the surfaces of the implant rub together, tiny fragments of plastic and metal wear off
- Wear is one reason knee implants fail and may require a repeat surgery years after the initial procedure. One recent study found that in a group of knee implants that were redone after an average of seven years of use, 44% of the cases were the result of plastic wear.
- Currently, conventional knee implants are expected to last between 10 and 15 years before wear becomes an issue.
About Fletcher Allen
Fletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center. Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment. Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. For more information about Fletcher Allen, find us online at http://www.fletcherallen.org or on our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blog sites at www.fletcherallen.org/socialmedia.