Decatur Memorial Hospital First in the Decatur Area to Offer     “Custom Fit” Total Knee Replacement

June 19, 2007

A revolutionary new custom fit total knee replacement was performed for the first time in down-state Illinois by local Orthopaedic Surgeon Tyler Jones, M.D., at Decatur Memorial Hospital on June 11th.

This minimally invasive surgery was performed on an 80-year-old woman. Using the custom total fit knee replacement, Dr. Jones for the first time can precisely match the size and placement of the implant by correcting deformities unique to each specific patient’s knee anatomy.

This new “custom fit” approach enables surgeons to preserve more bone and ligaments, allowing for better implant fit and alignment. This technique is faster than traditional total knee arthroplasty which allows for less anesthesia time for the patient and reduces the risk of cardio-pulmonary complications. Patients have reported a quicker and less painful recovery, increased range of motion, a more “natural” feeling knee, and greater ease in performing normal living activities such as golfing, biking and gardening.

“In the orthopaedics community we have not seen significant technique changes in total knee arthoplasty for years. This technology will be the standard in my practice and may change how total knee replacements are done in the future,” said Tyler Jones, M.D., Orthopaedic Surgeon.

The custom fit total knee replacement is achieved in a few steps, before and during surgery. Prior to surgery, an MRI is performed to take very precise measurements of the patient’s arthritic knee. Second, proprietary computer software creates a 3-D image of that knee, and then virtually corrects the deformity to return the knee to its pre-arthritic state. Third, a computerized 3-D image of the implant to be used in the patient’s surgery is matched to the anatomically correct virtual knee model. This helps determine the correct implant size and placement, based on the patient’s own normal (non-arthritic) knee anatomy. Last, using all of this information, special cutting guides are created for the surgeon to use during the procedure. These patient-specific cutting guides, which are accurate to within a few millimeters, indicate to the surgeon exactly where to make bone cuts so that the knee replacement is customized for the individual patient.

Back to News