No Benefit of Gender Specific Knee Posthesis

The female knee differs slightly in some aspects from the male knee, so researchers thought a female specific total knee prosthesis would be better for female patients. However, a prospective randomized study of 85 patients who received the implant now shows that there is no clinical benefit of the gender-specific prosthesis. All participating women received two implants; a standard NexGen CR-flex prosthesis in one knee and a gender-specific NexGen CR-flex in the other. In the gender-specific prosthesis the height of the anterior condyle is lowered and the sulcus is recessed to avoid creating an overstuffed patellofemoral joint and to increase the post-operative range of flexion. Patients were followed for two years after operation. Patient satisfaction and range of motion did not differ between the implants and the majority of women did not have a preference for either of the implants. Much to the surprise of the authors, who expected a benefit of the gender specific devices, there was no advantage of using the gender-specific prosthesis in these patients. The results were recently published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
Press release: Gender Bender: Do Gender Knee Implants Provide Better Outcomes?
Study abstract: Comparison of standard and gender-specific posterior-cruciate-retaining high-flexion total knee replacements…