The Latest Advance in Knee Surgery:

Less Invasive Total Knee Replacement

If you are a candidate for total knee replacement (TKR), you may be able to benefit from a less invasive surgical technique using a specially designed knee implant system that utilizes smaller and more advanced instrumentation. This new technique has been built on what has been proven to work in the past.

Smith & Nephew has developed a minimally invasive total knee system that utilizes the same basic surgical approach that most surgeons learned in the early years of their training. This technique is not about making major changes to what has worked in the past - it is simply an evolution of existing and proven procedures.

By taking this approach, your surgeon is able to provide you with all of the benefits of the latest total knee replacement advancements as well as the benefits of an implant with a long and proven clinical history and a surgical approach that has stood the test of time.

Here is what has changed in order to enable a minimally invasive solution:

New Smith & Nephew surgical instruments are smaller, more precise, and more efficient.
New surgical technique refinements allow the procedure to be performed effectively through a smaller cut in the soft tissue.

Though surgeons changed little about the classic technique, the positive improvements for patients are significant. The smaller cut, a 60% decrease in length, means there is less trauma to underlying muscles and to the soft tissue around the knee. As a result, pain from the surgery is greatly reduced, which means you are less dependent on prescription pain medication and return faster to physical activity.

Not only is trauma limited by using the Smith & Nephew minimally invasive total knee system, but you can also expect a smaller, less visible scar after the incision is healed.