Women aren’t just small men. Their bodies have a unique size and shape, including their knees. Now orthopaedic surgeons in Tucson are among the first in the nation to use a new FDA-approved gender-specific knee replacement contoured to fit a woman’s anatomy. 

"Women’s knees are narrower than men’s, have a less prominent bone in the front of the knee, and track differently because of the angle between the pelvis and the knee," said Tucson Orthopaedic Institute surgeon Russell G. Cohen, M.D.

Until now implants for total knee replacement have been based upon an average between the size of women’s and men’s knees. Orthopaedic surgeons frequently made adjustments during surgery to fit female patients. "These implants consider the more delicate bone structure of female patients," Dr. Cohen said. "It’s like buying women’s shoes instead of fitting into a smaller men’s size."

The gender-specific knee is good news for the more than 400,000 people who get their knees replaced each year, nearly two-thirds of whom are women. Women suffer from knee pain and disability more often than men. The gender-specific knee is implanted using existing, clinically successful surgical techniques, including minimally invasive approaches.

Surgeons at the Tucson Orthopaedic Institute began using the knee implants following FDA approval in May. Patients report the gender-specific implants are more comfortable and result in greater range of motion. 

For information, contact the Tucson Orthopaedic Institute at (520) 784-6200 or visit www.tucsonortho.com. More information can be found for patients at www.pacewithlife.com and for the media at www.zimmernews.com.