Gender-Specific Design in Total Knee Arthroplasty

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Abstract

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has now been performed for more than 3decades, with millions of implantations, and a tremendous volume of scientific data regarding its use. There is little, if anything, in the academic literature to suggest an inferior result when a TKA is performed in a female patient. Recently, implant manufacturers have introduced TKA designs with modified dimensions to accommodate the anatomical differences that occur between sexes. This article will attempt to clarify the known sex issues surrounding TKA, and outline the attempts by manufacturers to improve outcomes based on sex-specific or sex-friendly designs.

Section snippets

Sexual Differences in the Human Knee

Differences in knee anatomy, function, and pathologic conditions are often secondary to expression of the chromosomal differences between men and women. Tosi et al [1] have clearly outlined the influence of sex and gender on musculoskeletal health, stating that there are “…inherent differences in biology at the cellular and molecular level. There is a biologic basis for the differences…that cannot be explained simply by hormone levels.” Even at a young age, women are known to be more

TKA Outcomes

Historically, TKA has been successful in relieving patient's pain and restoring function both in the short term, and in long-term follow-up studies. Rand and Ilstrup [6] reviewed the survivorship of 9200 TKAs and found that the rate of implant survival in women was significantly greater than that of men, both at 5-year (93% vs 89%) and 10-year follow-up (83% vs 76%). Wright et al [17] reported no sex differences in survivorship of 523 TKAs followed up at a minimum of 10 years, and

Manufacturer's Response to Sex Issues

The observed narrower dimension of the female femur gains importance in the typical posterior referenced TKA surgical technique. Selecting the appropriate size is done first off the AP dimension of the distal femur. If the appropriate-sized femoral component then overhangs in the ML dimension, the surgeon must either accept this overhang, or downsize the femoral implant. Downsizing the implant may result in further loss of bone anteriorly and the potential for notching the anterior cortex.

Summary

Total knee arthroplasty has now been performed for more than 3 decades, with millions of implantations, and a tremendous volume of data regarding its use. In the author's opinion, there is little, if anything, in the academic literature to suggest an inferior result when a TKA is performed in a female patient. The amount of attention that implant manufacturers have focused on this issue is of interest, considering that there appears to be no issue at all. It may be that our current tools for

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    No benefits or funds were received in support of the study.

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