Traditional knee implants wear out in 10-15 years, the new oxidised zirconium implants last 30 years. DR VIKRAM JAIN, DIRECTOR, ORTHOPEDICS AND JOINT REPLACEMENT, AADHAR HEALTH INSTITUTE, HISAR

With a steady increase in the number of young people undergoing joint replacements, new techniques are being adopted by doctors to cause minimal invasion and convenience to the patients.
One such recent advance in bio-medical engineering has brought in, a new life for high-performance knee implants. The implant is helping patients evade knee-related complexities in the long run.
While traditional knee implants wear out in 10-15 years, the new oxidised zirconium implants last till 30 years, said Dr Vikram Jain, director, orthopedics and joint replacement, Aadhar Health Institute in Hisar.
“This high performing knee, which is a combination of oxidised zirconium with highly cross-linked polyethylene is a revolution in joint replacement surgery. It helps in making the knee functioning as natural as possible,” said Dr Vikram.
The technology combines stability and natural motion of the human knee with new low-friction materials, which extends the life of the implant.
The implant has been approved for wear durability of 30 years by the Food and Drug Administration of America (FDA).
Unlike the previous versions of knee implants made from cobalt chrome metal and a high-density plastic, the 30-year knee, is made of low-friction metal alloy oxidised zirconium, which has 4,900 times more abrasion resistant than cobalt chrome and, thus, significantly reduces the kind of wear that can cause an implant to wear out quick.
“Due to its longevity, this implant is ideal for patients who are undergoing knee replacement surgery early in their life,” explains Dr Vikram Jain.
Some patients may be allergic to some components used in the conventional knee replacements due to the presence of nickel and cobalt in them. And the metal allergy can cause pain and early failure of the artificial joint.
The other advantage of this material is that it does not cause allergy and is ideal for the patients, who are in late thirties and early forties.
Disclaimer: The veracity of any health claim made in the above article is the responsibility of the doctor concerned.

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