An alternative to the knee prosthesis when you suffer from osteoarthritis may have been found. This is a piston that will dampen the joint, like on cars. This discreet shock absorber is placed on each side of the knee, between the end of the thigh bone and the tibia. This is done with a small incision of 3-4 cm on an outpatient basis, i.e. you can go home right after. Once installed, the piston will dampen and absorb all the pressure put on the joint, which will reduce or even prevent pain.
The knee is the most stressed joint in the body. By dint of friction, it eventually wears out, which causes pain when walking or climbing stairs. This is osteoarthritis, and today more than 30% of people between 65 and 75 suffer from it. This new treatment could therefore be able to relieve them.
A much lighter operation
The operation is totally different from knee surgery. The latter consists of replacing it totally or partially with a prosthesis. It is a heavy, irreversible operation, under general anesthesia and which requires a long rehabilitation. This is why it is only offered as a last resort, when the pain is no longer bearable. We will rather start with classic painkillers, then injections that will oil the joint. But afterwards, we had no other choice but the prosthesis.
From now on, there will also be the option of the shock absorber which will further delay the transition to the prosthesis. Again, this will be a light operation. We don’t touch the bone, the ligaments, or the cartilage. We just install the little piston on the side, and we go home the same evening.
A technology developed over almost ten years
However, if you can’t get treatment with this treatment yet, it won’t be long. The technology has been developed for almost ten years. However, in medicine, we take our time to check the effectiveness and ensure that the shock absorber resists over time, that there is no rejection. This is what has just been validated in a long clinical study. The technique will therefore be able to begin to be integrated into therapies.