Total knee systems
Journey II
Smith and Nephew implants can be made from a proprietary metal called Oxinium which is free of Nickel making it safe for patients with most metal allergies. An added advantage of the Oxinium is that it has the least friction of any available implant system. Smith and Nephew is the only company allowed by the FDA to advertise as a “30 year knee”. I typically perform the surgery using the Visionaire technology. Custom cutting jigs are made using data from MRI and Xray to specifically correct an individual patient’s anatomy.
Imprint
This system uses custom guides for making the bone cuts, like the Smith and Nephew Visionaire System. The guides are made from data collected form a CT scan rather than MRI.
Identity
Similar to the Imprint and the Journey II Visionaire systems, Identity uses custom cutting guides to ensure accurate placement of the implants. Additionally, Identity uses implants that are actually custom made for a patient’s knee. I have used this system for many years. Sadly as of September 1, 2022 patients will no longer have access to a fully customized knee without significant out of pocket expense as part of the “Platinum Program”. Despite having implanted more than 1200 of these knees, I am not convinced that there is sufficient data to justify the added cost. I am willing to use this implant if a patient desires, but we would need to discuss the potential benefits vs. the cost.