Custom-Fit OtisKnee™ May Impact Early Success of Total Knee Replacement Surgery, Study Finds

BUSINESS WIRE--A new study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham indicates that the OtisKnee Custom Fit Knee™ Replacement system may have a positive impact on length of hospital stay, range of motion, pain level and patient satisfaction immediately following total knee replacement surgery. The study abstract, titled “MRI-Guided Custom-Fit Total Knee Replacement: The First Six Weeks,” was presented at the joint Alabama Orthopedic Society and Mississippi Orthopedic Society annual meeting on May 3, 2008 in Sandestin, Fla. by Herrick Siegel, M.D., associate professor of surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and lead investigator of the study.

Designed to evaluate the impact of OtisKnee on the early success of total knee replacement, the study involved 25 total knee replacements performed in 19 patients using the custom-fit OtisKnee technology. Each patient was followed for six weeks, a crucial period for predicting ultimate satisfaction with the procedure. Results showed that OtisKnee had a positive influence on length of hospital stay, range of motion, pain and patient satisfaction, as seen by the following data.

• Average length of hospital stay for single and bilateral (both knees) OtisKnee patients was 2.2 and 3.5 days, respectively.
• At two weeks, 17 of the 19 OtisKnee patients were walking with only a cane, and by 6 weeks all patients were walking without assistance.
• Sixteen of the 19 OtisKnee patients reported that they only needed prescription pain medication for 10 to 14 days post-op, and all patients were off prescription pain medication completely by four weeks post-op.

In addition, the study results indicated that OtisKnee is useful to the surgeon in pre-determining ideal implant size as well as defining proper rotation and positioning during the total knee replacement procedure.

“While total knee replacement has been a successful surgery historically, studies have shown that nearly 14 percent of patients have reported being dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their surgery,” said Dr. Siegel. “Preliminary results with OtisKnee indicate that this unique, custom-fit approach may lead to a more predictable, reproducible and optimal result for patients.”

Since its limited U.S. launch in June of 2007, the OtisKnee technique has been performed by more than 400 surgeons on more than 7,000 patients. Initial clinical data demonstrating the value of OtisKnee in total knee replacement has been presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting and has been accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed orthopedic trade journal.