Unicondylar Knee Implant of Oxidized Zirconium

Unicondylar knee replacement surgery can now utilize a knee implant made from oxidized zirconium that is much smoother and abrasion-resistant than cobalt chrome, the metal traditionally used.

The knee is made from a patented brand of oxidized zirconium called Oxinium, developed by Smith & Nephew, Inc. (Memphis, TN, USA).

The replacement surgery utilizes the Accuris instrumentation system also developed by Smith & Nephew, which the company notes is the only unicondylar knee instrument set to use patient-specific range of motion for guidance. Oxinium total knee replacement implants have been in clinical use for more than five years now. The introduction of Oxinium implants in unicondylar procedures is expected to help younger patients who suffer from osteoarthritis in only one compartment of the knee and stand to benefit from a low-friction, abrasion-resistant implant capable of withstanding an active lifestyle.

"The instruments help surgeons improve alignment and implant position with a reproducible procedure and a relatively small incision,” noted Bill Smith, M.D., of the Blount Orthopedic Clinic in Milwaukee (WI, USA). "Combining this precision with an Oxinium implant gives me great confidence that I am providing my physically active patients with the longest-lasting and most successful outcome possible.”




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