A BB&T

Stryker Orthopaedics (Mahwah, New Jersey), maker of the Triathlon Knee System, called by the company "the industry's fastest-growing total knee replacement system worldwide, reported the addition of Triathlon PKR, a partial knee resurfacing system, to the Triathlon Knee System family.

Mike Mogul, president of Stryker Orthopaedics, said, "Triathlon PKR with X3 is a great addition to the Triathlon Knee family, which allows surgeons to treat the unique needs of each patient and provide them with a personalized solution,"

Stryker says that Triathlon PKR is the industry's first partial knee resurfacing product that uses the company's X3 advanced bearing technology, which has demonstrated up to a 96% decrease in wear in laboratory testing compared to competitive premium bearing surfaces in total knee replacements.

The touted benefits of partial knee resurfacing include a quicker operation and a shorter hospital stay-with the procedure in some cases being performed on an outpatient basis (<24 hours)-as compared to a total knee replacement.

With Triathlon PKR, Stryker said, "less bone is removed and there is often less trauma to soft tissue during surgery, which may leave the patient with a more natural feeling knee than with a total knee replacement."

The device is also anatomically shaped and designed to enable surgeons to use the latest minimally invasive surgical techniques, which may result in a smaller scar for the patient.

Stryker also unveiled the Triathlon TS Revision System, designed to provide Triathlon performance in a streamlined revision procedure, its design based on the Triathlon Primary System and "millions" of Stryker knee implantations. .

"The Triathlon TS Revision System is also the only revision knee system with X3 bearing technology and "post-preservation features," which aid in alleviating the stresses typically exerted on a stabilizing post in a revision setting."

Stryker was showcasing the Triathlon PKR and TS Knee Systems at the 2008 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting in San Francisco, in early March.