Promising results for this shock-absorbing knee implant
To cure the knee pain related to osteoarthritis, doctors usually prescribe standard medications, but sometimes the patient may need an operation to replace their entire knee. A company wanted to offer a more practical solution creating a device called the Misha Knee System. The latter was designed to serve as a shock absorber.
This new knee implant was developed by the company Moximed based in California. The Misha Knee System is attached to the inner part of the patient’s femur and tibia next to the knee joint. It consists of a steel piston which slides in a flexible polymer cylinder.
The operation of the device
According to the explanations provided by the designers of the Misha, when the piston compresses the cylinder, the latter reacts by inflating outwards. That absorbs the majority of the energy that is normally directed to the joint. Thus, the test results showed that the implant could reduce the effect of forces on the knee with each step by 30%.
With regard to the installation of the Misha, the company Moximed indicates that the latter is implanted under the skin through a simple incision. When the device is in place, it does not restrict any movement of the knee and has no effect on the joint’s ability to bear weight. Misha also leaves bones, tendons, and cartilage intact. It is thus always possible to carry out further processing in the future.
Promising results
The Misha Knee system has been tested in 2019 on 81 patients who suffered from knee pain. This test was part from a multicenter clinical trial conducted by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. The results of this trial were published on September 22, 3 years after the implants were placed in patients.
According to Ohio State University, more than 90% of participants experienced a “significant reduction in pain scores and improvement in functioning scores”. Overall results showed that the device had a 86% success rate. This is greater success to that of a surgical procedure often performed in this case and which is called high tibial osteotomy. This procedure involves realigning the knee joint by cutting a wedge of tibia bone.
For the moment, the company is still waiting for the validation of the FDA or Food and Drug Administration. It is not yet known when the system will be available to the public.
SOURCE: newatlas
