Dr Harsimran Singh, Director, Department of Joint Replacement & Orthopaedics, Fortis Hospital Mohali, launched the Zirconium-coated knee replacement implant ‘Gold Knee’, one of the biggest breakthroughs in the knee replacement treatment.Launching the pinnacle of German engineering with the patients who have undergone surgery for the same, Dr Harsimran said that ‘Gold Knee’ is answer to ways of improving function of replaced knee so as to closely mimic a patient’s natural knee and way to prevent wear and tear of the implant, so that it lasts the entire lifetime of the patient. “As many as 90% patients who’ve got this implant have reported back saying they can easily sit cross-legged. Many elderly persons want to sit cross-legged while offering prayers, so they have been extremely happy with the results,” Dr Harsimran said.A couple of patients who underwent partial knee replacement and total knee replacement using ‘Gold Knee’ at Fortis Hospital Mohali shared their experience.
Launching the wonder implant, Dr Harsimran said, “Knee replacement surgery has seen notable advancements in the last decade. The advent of computer navigation has helped in eliminating human error during surgery to a large extent. With the launch of ‘Gold Knee’, two issues of longevity of implant and its resemblance to natural knee to have been solved.”The Zirconium coated knee implant, also known as ‘Gold Knee’, is available in two designs – for partial knee replacement and total knee replacement. It has been manufactured using seven layers of ceramic coating over the usual metal layer of knee implants. It has the lowest wear rates across all designs and varieties of implants.Dr Harsimran said even younger patients who get ‘Gold Knee’ implanted can now hope to have this implant last their entire lifetime, thus eliminating the need for a revision surgery later.Patients having varying severity and nature of arthritis can now be given a customized knee replacement, wherein, only the damaged portion of the knee is replaced and un-diseased portion is preserved. Those undergoing partial knee replacement can sit cross legged on ground, squat, take part in sporting activities like tennis, golf, swimming etc. The recovery time is much faster and is pain-free as compared to earlier techniques.