OtisKnee

Caritas Good Samaritan Leads the Way in Joint Surgeries with the new OtisKneeTM

Remember when you could walk up and down stairs, dance and even run without any joint pain? Maybe that feels so long ago that it’s hard to recall. More than 20 million Americans are living with the joint pain of osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis.* Osteoarthritis happens when joints’ shock-absorbing cartilage breaks down. It can happen in almost any joint, but typically occurs in weight-bearing joints such as hips, knees and the spine. For John Brown, 60, of Hanson, Mass., it was his knee. After riding his 11th Pan Mass Challenge, a 200-mile cycling event to raise money for cancer research, he couldn’t even walk 18 holes on the golf course without excruciating pain. “At 60 years old, I wasn’t ready to give up cycling – or racquetball, softball or anything else,” Brown says. “I’ve always been an active athlete. I knew there had to be something I could do.”

A Natural-feeling Knee Like many people who live with chronic joint pain, Brown had reservations about complete joint replacement. But then he found the OtisKnee™ Custom Fit Total Knee™ replacement at Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center (CGSMC). 

“The OtisKnee is unlike traditional knee replacement, which is generally one-size-fits-all,” says orthopedic surgeon Stephen C. McNeil, M.D., of Orthopedic Care Specialists in Easton.  Dr. McNeil and his partners are affiliated with CGSMC where they perform their total joint surgeries. “One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to knees – every patient is a little different. The Custom Fit Knee™ lets me match the size and placement to each particular person. Plus the surgery can be done quickly and with less pain. You end up with a shorter recovery, better range of motion and a knee that feels more natural.”

What Makes OtisKnee Different? More than 500,000 people in the U.S. have total knee replacement surgery each year. Traditional replacements typically require a minimum three-day hospital stay, followed by at least six weeks on a walker or cane with the hope of returning to normal activities by 12 weeks.

“With the OtisKnee, patients are reporting significantly less pain – both after surgery and throughout recovery,” Dr. McNeil says.  “And they’re returning to their normal activities more quickly. They are off canes or walkers by as early as two to three weeks, and they’re driving, gardening and golfing by as early as six weeks.” 

Brown’s knee replacement actually started with an MRI two weeks before the first incision. The MRI, which is painless and much like an X-ray procedure, precisely detailed his knee joint. Then a computer created a 3-D image and virtually returned the joint to its normal, pre-arthritic state. That 3-D image determined the exact replacement size needed. Then Dr. McNeil pinpointed incision guides so that less bone would be cut and ligaments could be spared, resulting in a more “natural” feel.

More Advances Coming Brown was discharged two days after his bi-lateral knee surgery.

 “I’ll be back on the golf course this spring and am looking forward to my 12th Pan Mass Challenge,” Brown says. “I chose the OtisKnee because it seemed to be the least painful and least invasive option, but it’s also going to get me back to being me again – and sooner than I imagined.”
Dr. McNeil says the OtisKnee is setting the stage for additional advances in orthopedic treatments to get more people who suffer with chronic pain off the sidelines.

“Knee resurfacing can save bone by resurfacing only the diseased joint,” Dr. McNeil says. “And again, recovery time is much less than with traditional knee replacement. Ceramics are also demonstrating promise for replacing metal in total replacements. It's much more resistant to abrasion with plastic surfaces in the knee implant device, which means the joints last longer.”

Chronic joint pain can happen for many reasons, but it doesn’t have to limit you for the rest of your life. Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center is the only community hospital in the metro south area using the OtisKnee technique.

Source: Arthritis Foundation.