Feedback on "Gender Specific" knees??

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Anonymous

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Pharma rep here (I know, I know, Pharma totally sucks) looking for some feedback from a Zimmer device rep...

My mom needs a total knee replacement, and she is doing research on the internet...she is convinced she needs a Zimmer "Gender specific" implant....

Could you guys let me know if this is really effective, or is it just marketing hype...honest answers would be appreciated as I love my mom and want to get the best implant for her so she can get back to being active...

Thanks!
 






Zimmer did an amazing job of marketing the gender specific knee. This led to a huge increase in female patients requesting and seaking out these knees. This forced the other companies to begin marketing thier versions of gender specific knees. All the companies can offer their surgeons smaller "gender specific" sizes. I would be more concerned with the following

-Credentials of the surgeon- this is most important. A skilled surgeon will achieve good results with whatever implant he uses. Also a surgeon with a good track record in total knee procedures will be using a good knee implant.

-implant survisorship
-ROM
-PCL sacrificing vs PCL retaining
-Navigation vs traditional alignment
-Custon knee cutting guides

While there are differences between different companies knee implants you need to focus first on the surgeon you choose.
 






The surgeons I cover have several female knee patients who tenderness and pain right where the femoral component is overhanging. I would encourage the previous posters to call these surgeons to illuminate them on the fact that this pain is simply 'marketing hype'.

Face it, we are at the apex of the diminishing returns curve on these implants. All improvements are minor at this stage in the game.

Ultimately, the best implant for your mom is the one the surgeon does best.
 



I am saying that the whole "gender specific" knee was alot of marketing hype. What do you say to the man who could use a "woman's knee" or the woman who doesn't need the "woman's knee". I do believe that the smaller dimensions are warranted but not necessarily gender specific. The smaller dimension lets the surgeon better match the patients femoral anatomy. While their have been some reports on pain related to overhang I think they serve a better purpose of covering the surgeon legally.
 



What's the beef with marketing? When a clinical issue can be resolved AND a product can be differentiated in a sea of noise at the same time, I call that a wonderful moment. Females invariably (but not exclusively) have a narrower M/L than men and Zimmer got there first.

For ONCE, I might add.
 



Anonymous said:
What's the beef with marketing? When a clinical issue can be resolved AND a product can be differentiated in a sea of noise at the same time, I call that a wonderful moment. Females invariably (but not exclusively) have a narrower M/L than men and Zimmer got there first.

For ONCE, I might add.
Click to expand...

if i get a black left knee; will i be able to dunk?
 



I think the main point is that all companies now how sizes to meet smaller femoral anatomy. Ill give zimmer a pat on the back for marketing the hell out of it. Now that all the companies can accomodate the smaller dimensions any argument about whose is better is marketing hype. Zimmer should jump on gender specific volar plates, femoral nails, hips, etc.
 



zimmer was citing a paper by Dr. Kirby Hitt written for the stryker triathlon knee which described a need for more anthropometric sizing options to better suit certain patient populations including women. This was the main support piece for the gender knee. Unfortunately for Zimmer, Stryker sued and Zimmer can no longer use that paper as a reference. Excellent marketing though on Zimmer's behalf. There is in fact two key differences between the Triathlon knee and the other knees on the market and they are the Triathlon's unique single radius design as opposed to the competition's variable radius knees. This design feature promotes soft tissue guided motion and makes for a more natural feeling knee and is in part why the Triathlon is the quickest growin knee on the market. The second design feature id stryker's X3 polyethlene bearing surface which shows superior wear resistance to all competitive poly's on the market and provides for the potential of a longer lasting implant. the most important factor would be the surgeon implanting the knee, despite the implant design, a poorly placed implant will function poorly. Your mom's best bet is to find a skilled surgeon who uses stryker.
 



I love that you finished with "your mom's best bet is to find a skilled surgeon who uses stryker". They are not the only company with a single raidus femoral component. Also, while there is a potential for longer poly life with the X3, there is no long term data on it.
 



they are the only company with a single radius design, it is patented. The only thing even close is the biomet vanguard which is technically a multi radius knee but it the transition between between radii is very tight. True there are no documented papers on x3's long term data but it is coming. It's been out since 2003 and the simulator and retieval data is encouraging
 



Anonymous said:
they are the only company with a single radius design, it is patented. The only thing even close is the biomet vanguard which is technically a multi radius knee but it the transition between between radii is very tight. True there are no documented papers on x3's long term data but it is coming. It's been out since 2003 and the simulator and retieval data is encouraging
Click to expand...

Lay your template on top of a NexGen template and see how remarkably identical your 'patented' single radius design is to ours. I won't even address your X3 comments as they smack of someone who just got back from knee training. Would you like to address the fact that one of the most successful knee designs in history was the IB2 knee, a multiradius J-femur?

For bonus points, is the native femur a J or a single radius?

See you at the gym.
 



Anonymous said:
they are the only company with a single radius design, it is patented. The only thing even close is the biomet vanguard which is technically a multi radius knee but it the transition between between radii is very tight. True there are no documented papers on x3's long term data but it is coming. It's been out since 2003 and the simulator and retieval data is encouraging
Click to expand...

encouraging???? listen shit bag so was the review on ryan lief (spell check?)before the draft. The next stop for that poly is around a six pack of miller light. Even the poly from exactec is better then x3.
 



Yea douche, I bet you also said that the data on the crossfire poly was "encouraging" before that shit was taken off the market. Oh, and the staph on your femoral stems, the FDA also "encourages" you clean off before you implant.
 



Hey r***** crossfire is still on the market with excellent clinical results in a 10 year follow up, see zelicofs recent paper. unlike your disaster black poly. Suck it faggot
 



Wright Medical's Advance knee has a single radius design and its been out for 10 years. Also, if the crossfire was so great why come out with the X3. Also, can you really use crossfires data to back X3. I thought they were crosslinked two different ways and thats why you say its so great. Can't have it both ways.
 



Stryker Fucktard,

I am sure you do not read JBJS but maybe you should before you tout the "success" of Crossfire.

JBJS 2007
Conclusions: Acetabular cups made of Crossfire polyethylene oxidized to a measurable degree. The oxidation-related
reduction of polyethylene mechanical properties was sufficient to allow the fatigue damage seen in these retrieved
cups.
Clinical Relevance: The oxidation measured in acetabular cups made of Crossfire polyethylene makes them susceptible
to fatigue after as little as three years in service.

Sounds like great long term data to me! Maybe you should read up on the science of free radicals.
 



The idea of gender specific products is good and patients may benefit from this approach when comparing to non-gender-specific products. The fact is: everyone is different. The "off-the-shelf" sizes may not fit YOU. Even modular products which allow some customization may not fit YOU. What patients really need is:

PATIENT SPECIFIC knees

This is real and is being offered by Smith & Nephew. The doctor will take a MRI of your knee, and send it to the engineers at Smith & Nephew. The engineers will develop a custom knee replacement with YOUR NAME ON IT based on your actual anatomic structure. Yes, it does take an extra appointment to prepare the custom knee in advance, but the surgery will go faster and you have a much greater chance of recovering with a natural gait and minimal discomfort. They may still be in clinical trials, so you should ask around. I think it is called "Patient Match".
 







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