What's New In Orthopedic Surgery at Caldwell Memorial Hospital?

When it comes to joint replacements, there is a lot of excitement right now. A new knee replacement design is currently available through Carolina Orthopaedics.

One of the firstin the area to use this device is Caldwell Memorial Hospital (CMH) Chief of Surgery, James Stanislaw M.D., FAAOS.

Men and women have differently shaped bodies, and it should come as no surprise that the knee shape is different, too. Until recently, knee designs have been based more on men’s anatomy than women’s. “Those of us who have been performing joint replacements for some time have noticed this difference, and encouraged the development of a knee replacement that more closely mimics the shape of a woman’s knee for our female patients,” says Dr. Stanislaw, who has performed joint replacements at CMH for more than 10 years.

The traditional design still works extremely well for men and many women because it is an averaging of the overall shape of many knees and it comes in multiple sizes. The precise sizes are still chosen for each patient during the operation in either case. “It is ironic that the past designs are based more heavily on the male shape, yet females receive a greater number of the total knee replacements. Now the surgeon has the option of which shape best matches a patient’s knee,” Dr. Stanislaw says.

Other exciting improvements involve the use of computer navigation to arrange joint replacements in the precise angle and position in the body. This technique uses computers connected to cameras. It can be thought of as a miniature GPS-type instrument, without the satellites. There are two basic kinds of systems. One is based on traditional stereoscopic cameras that watch the instruments, and the other uses electromagnetic “eyes” that can see through objects. As the firstdoctor in the area to use both systems, Dr. Stanislaw believes “… each system has advantages and disadvantages, as any new technology does. But as we refi ne their use, improve the equipment, and continue to shrink the size of the incision, the patients will continue to benefit.”

Carolina Orthopaedic Specialists, PA is not a division of Caldwell Memorial Hospital.