Asian techno for knee transplant launched
PTI, PANAJI | 14 August 2012 16:27 IST
A knee joint which is tailor-made for the Asian population was launched in Goa, and is said to give relief to several people with low body height.
Dr Ameya Velingkar, a knee replacement surgeon based in Goa, claimed that the technology is a result of six year long research by an America based company on the problems faced by Asians, who are usually lesser in height compared to their western counterparts.
"Due to low height, especially amongst women, the knee replacement was becoming tedious and painful, he said.
The Philadelphia, USA based Maxx Medicals, which is subsidiary of Maxx Orthopaedic Inc. has developed the knee which has been named as 'Freedom Knee'.
This knee, he said, has been developed studying the difficulties faced by Asian patients. Velingkar said that poor bone mass is witnessed among Asians and their lifestyle also involves high flexible postures.
He said that the bone stock is poor in Asians, which warrants knee replacement surgery for majority of them after 60 years of age.
"Freedom knee is a blessing for the Indian patients as it gives them the high flexion allowing to bend knee fully and thus the patient can kneel, squat and sit cross-legged," he added.
The first freedom knee replacement was recently done in Goa, Velingkar said, adding that 25 such surgeries were done after first successful trial.
In Goa, he said, annually 180 knee surgeries are done in various hospitals.
