"Arthritis Crippling The Young" says Dr Sanjeev Jain, Orthopaedic Surgeon,

MUMBAI, India - May 8, 2013 - PRLog -- Mumbai, May 2013: Arthritis is on the rise and more increasingly these days affecting the younger women population. The knee replacement has really now shifted towards the young. The demand for knee replacements among ages 40-55 has tripled since the last three to five years. The expectations from a knee replacement surgery today are higher than what it used to be five years ago. The demand is more of high activity level, longevity, flexibility, pain relieving and also quality of life.  Earlier the patients were content to be rid of pain and to be relatively sedentary lifestyle. With the increasing demand there are number of implants / knee prosthesis are available based on scientific research. Normally an implant lasts for 12 to 15 years. This means the person getting operated at the age of 45 years will definitely need revision surgery when the patient reaches 60 years of age. The revision surgeries have also almost doubled over the years. Revision surgeries are normally costly and complicated. Hence, the need of the patient today is first to understand the whole situation and look for implants that will last longer and give them flexibility and quality of life as well.

Today gender specific knee is increasingly becoming popular amongst women and it’s a boon for young women. Explaining the benefits of the implant, Dr Sanjeev Jain said, "Anatomically, a women's knee has a distinctive shape in comparison to a man's knee. The gender knee provides three-in-one advantage. It has three distinct and scientifically documented differences. This addresses both the shape and the size features of a women's knee, thereby resulting in a better fitting, higher flexibility and more natural movement. A woman may be able to perform the daily activities with the same ease as before the surgery like natural knees."

Dr Sanjeev Jain said “Although it has long been known that there were marked differences in the skeleton of men and women, it has only been realized recently that there are significant differences in the knee joint between men and women. All orthopedic implant companies offer several sizes of knee implants. Only the Gender specific knee has a different shape from a Non gender implant.”

Dr Sanjeev Jain said “Gender knee is contoured to fit the different shape and size of female knees, which gives a better fit and more natural movement because it is proportioned to the female anatomy. As a result the patient may be back to normal activity sooner, however the patient is advised the normal recovery time.”

The design of this unique knee implant is based on what is known as next generation complete knee solutions. The bone in the front of a woman's knee is less prominent than a man's. The traditional implant has a thickness in front that feels bulky, which results in pain and a decrease in the range of motion, he said.

Secondly, the angle between the hip and knee affects the kneecap movement. Women, due to their wider hips, have a different angle between the hip and the knee as compared to men. A woman's knee is also narrower, requiring a contoured shape for a more precise fit. This prevents the implant from overhanging the bone and potentially pressing on or damaging the surrounding ligaments and tendons. The gender knee addresses all these problems, Dr Sanjeev Jain, added.

Gender knee has some features in shape that differentiate it from the non gender implant. These are:

Has a thinner profile for women, so the knee feels more natural and has a greater range of motion
The angle at which the knee cap or patella sits in the lower end of the thigh bone is 7 degrees unlike zero in normal knees. This ensures that the knee cap tracks more normally and thus is designed for more natural movement - more like the natural knee
Has a contoured shape proportioned to fit the female anatomy as it is narrower from side to side.  This ensures the implant does not overhang the bone and potentially press on, or damage surrounding ligaments and tendons.

Dr Sanjeev Jain, Orthopaedic& Joint Replacement Surgeon, Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital, Powai  said “Almost every day, I get at least one case of a young arthritis patient. The hard fact is that arthritis is not fatal. But, the cruel fact is that arthritis cripples the patient for life. In other words, arthritis is progressively degenerative disorder, which becomes increasingly painful if it strikes one at an early age. Because, once diagnosed, it cannot be eliminated. Lack of nutrition especially among women, and higher levels of obesity and inactivity — explains why arthritis is becoming more common in western India, according to experts.”

Dr Sanjeev Jain further said, “Today in Mumbai alone there would be close to 40lakhs arthritis patients and these numbers are increasing rapidly. Initially, there were only 5 percent of the population who were arthritic but the upsurge now is 25 to 30 percent every year. Rheumatoid arthritis is also significantly increasing every year. Most importantly it’s affecting the younger population. Earlier, arthritis patients would come to me when they were 65 years of age or so. But now I see patients who are younger and in the age group of 40-55 yrs which is normally considered to be ones golden years of life. Arthritis is the painful inflammation of the joints, due to the deterioration of cartilage.”

Dr Sanjeev Jain says in older people knees replacement will last for life long. Younger people need to discuss with their surgeons what they can expect in terms of the longevity of the prosthesis and if they should delay having the surgery (to avoid revision). The surgeries eliminate pain in most people but the better they feel, the more they'll expect of the technology. People need to take care of their knees before taking the easy way out."