A Medical Device Daily

In a move that appears to mirror Zimmer's (Warsaw, Indiana) emphasis on the development gender-specific orthopedic implants targeting what it sees as the different knee and hip anatomy of women, Wright Medical Group (Arlington, Tennessee) reported launch of a knee system that it said addresses the "sizing needs" of patients with a more narrow knee anatomy or smaller skeletal frame. But it makes size, not gender, the deciding factor in the design.

Wright says that its latest addition to its Advance Knee system, the new Advance Stature, features a tapered design with femoral components that provide "distinct sizing advantages for males or females who require more customized sizing."

The company said that while "gender-differentiated" knee implant design is being explained as a current trend in the orthopedic industry, studies examining factors other than gender have demonstrated that patient size (stature or height), not gender, is a more appropriate determinant of implant needs.

Although women are generally smaller than men and may more often require smaller knee implants, patients of either gender may possess a physical stature that would often benefit from a narrower implant design, the company said.

The Advance Stature components feature a reduced width and contoured anterior flange for optimized patellar tracking and are compatible with the company's Advance Double-High and Medial-Pivot tibial inserts.

"In my practice I see people of all shapes and sizes needing knee replacement," said Kent Samuelson, MD, of the Orthopedic Specialty Hospital (Salt Lake City). "A gender-specific replacement approach does not take into consideration the impact of the patient's size. With the availability of the Advance Stature knee in my practice, I am better able to treat male and female patients who have a narrow femur, offering them the best possible fit for their new knee."