Comments on Doctor Tarlow on Knees: Otis Med: Shape Matching Custom Fit Total Knee Rep...

Dr. Tarlow,Very interesting post. I just recently...

2008-04-14T21:46:00.000-06:00

Dr. Tarlow,

Very interesting post. I just recently stumbled upon your blog, so let me begin by saying that I am very grateful to read the thoughts of a surgeon who clearly cares very much about providing the best, and sometimes newest treatments for his patients. I am currently an undergrad at the University of Southern California and I am very interested in pursuing a career in surgery, particularly orthopedics.

So as for your post, I have a few questions regarding knee replacement surgery. You mentioned in your post that in a traditional replacement, the knee is aligned with its axis perpendicular to a line running from hip to ankle. Is a normal knee not always aligned like this? As far as I understood, this is the driving concept behind the Otis Med system, but it seems to me that most knees ought to be pretty close to this ideal that is used in the traditional replacement. In other words, is “customization” really worth the two or three degrees that a patient’s knee may be off by? As you said, the majority of traditional knee replacements can be expected to last several decades.

Additionally, why is it that the Otis Med system looks at the degenerated knee and tries to reconstruct it to pick a replacement? Wouldn't it be easier to look at the healthy knee and assume symmetry? That way, no computer reconstruction would be necessary.

Forgive me if my comments seem uninformed or off-base. This is all very interesting to me, so I'm just trying to understand as much as I can.

Thanks,

JDM

I'm scheduled for a right side replacement on Mond...

2008-04-06T09:52:00.000-06:00

I'm scheduled for a right side replacement on Monday (4/7/08). I will have an OtisMed procedure and have no reservations about my decision. I'll be happy to keep you posted.

To Anonymous,Your recovery is great but has nothin...

2008-04-02T19:53:00.000-06:00

To Anonymous,

Your recovery is great but has nothing to do with the custom fit knee. My patients go home on the first day after surgery and use a cane for 2 weeks. And I do not use the custom fit technology. To most joint replacement surgeons, these numbers are not all that impressive, but more representative of a recent trend of rapid recovery

Having just visited the Phoenix and Sedona areas l...

2008-04-01T09:03:00.000-06:00

Having just visited the Phoenix and Sedona areas last month, and being 3 and 1/2 months post- bilateral total knee replacement, I felt I should comment.

RUN; do not walk, to training on the Custom Fit Total Knee Replacement technique. Your patients will love you for it!

I had my surgery at Bryn Mawr Hospital in Bryn Mawr, PA on a Monday, and was home on Saturday. I was walking with a cane only for 3 weeks; driving after 4 weeks, and I did 6 weeks of outpatient PT. All along the way, medical professionals and friends marveled at my progress.

After years of arthritic pain, I am giddy with excitement about being able to walk, do stairs, hike, and generally live my life again.

As I said, you owe it to your patients to offer a Custom Fit knee.

From a former Jazzercise instructor, age 50.

nice post...i just read the whole thing after talk...

2008-02-26T01:35:00.000-07:00

nice post...i just read the whole thing after talking with you on the phone...so, how will the jury decide? what metrics are you looking at to determine where your practice will ultimately go?
-branden

I hope this gets responses by orthopedic surgeons....

2008-02-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

I hope this gets responses by orthopedic surgeons. The philosophy of Otis Med has clinical support and is embraced by several surgeons around the country. Dr. Tarlow has done a great job elaborating on both the philosophy and science behind Otis Med. As this debate unfolds, it will be interesting to hear Dr. Tarlow's conclusions.