Additive Design Solution Simplifies Revision Knee Arthroplasty

Advanced medical device manufacturing techniques and surgical expertise have led to the development of a simplified, lower cost solution to revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery.

The Exprt Precision System for TKA is a simple, comprehensive 2-tray system that replaces the traditional 8-tray setup used during complex TKA revisions, thus dramatically reducing prep time and eliminating unnecessary surgical steps. The system is focused on simplicity by including multiuse instruments, strategic planning of the most commonly used sizes and options, and the incorporation of symmetry into the system design. Many unessential components were eliminated to simplify the system, reducing both the number of trays and overall system cost, without negatively impacting clinical efficiency.


Peripheral instruments such as support guides, box cut guides, and single purpose reamers, among other parts, were eliminated from the trays. They were replaced by multipurpose instruments, such as a cutting guide designed for both distal and tibial resections; a single size reamer with a conical geometry for both femoral and tibial preparation; and modular stem extensions, which can be used interchangeably on both the femur and tibia. The system also includes a set of built-in augments to compensate for periarticular bone loss around the knee cavity, eliminating the need for separate augments.

One other key differentiator from traditional approaches is that the Exprt Precision System for TKA requires a surgical team that consists of only six surgeon members, thus providing more space in the operating room and significantly lowering costs. Early adopter surgeons have also touted the Exprt’s unprecedented cost, which translates into an exceptionally valuable tool to manage a hospital’s orthopedic service line. The Exprt Precision System for TKA was developed by DJO Surgical (Vista, CA, USA).

“The Exprt approach leads to efficient operations that save both time and money, while providing excellent early results,” said C. Lowry Barnes, MD, chairman of orthopedics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (Little Rock, USA). “My operating team especially appreciates the fact that only two pans of instruments are opened. I believe that I can speak for the entire Exprt design team when I say that we have met our goals in offering a high-value, high-quality revision knee system for the accomplished surgeon.”

In the past, revision TKA systems contained three or four essential tools that a surgeon used to adequately place and align implant parts. Over the last 20 years, however, systems evolved into an expanded offering with a range of revision toolsets that catered to surgeon habits and preferences, leading to a series of overlapping, incremental additions, with little to no direct correlation to an improvement of clinical outcomes. The result was an increase in the number of parts, complexity, and cost.

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