Potential Benefits of PKR
X3® Technology
The bearing surface is defined as the two parts of the knee implant that glide together throughout motion. Triathlon® PKR utilizes Stryker’s advanced bearing technology, called X3®, which has demonstrated up to 96% decrease in wear in laboratory testing compared to competitive premium bearing surfaces in TKRs.4 Triathlon® PKR is the only unicompartmental knee with this technology.
Quicker Recovery
Because the PKR artificial joints are smaller than total knee implants, the surgical incision may be smaller. A smaller incision may lead to a smaller scar. Other potential benefits to PKR include a quicker operation and a shorter hospital stay compared to a total knee replacement.3 Rehabilitation may also be more progressive.3 Because less bone is removed and there is less trauma to soft tissue during surgery, your knee may feel more natural than with a total knee replacement.3< /p>
Not all patients are candidates for Partial Knee Resurfacing. Depending on your condition, a total knee replacement may be recommended by your doctor.
Total Knee Replacement
Total Knee Replacement (TKR) may be necessary if more than one compartment of your knee is arthritic. In TKR, your surgeon will replace all 3 compartments of your knee using total knee components.
Risks Associated with PKR/TKR
As with any surgery, there is a risk of complications. Blood clots are the most common complication after surgery. Your doctor may prescribe one or more measures to help prevent blood clots from forming in your leg veins, such as special support hose and blood thinners. You may also receive antibiotics to help prevent infection. Your doctor can provide you with more information about other potential risks.
Risk factors relating to your anatomy, weight, prior joint surgeries and your personal health should also be addressed with your doctor.
You Don’t Have to Live with Severe Joint Pain
You don’t have to live with joint pain and the limitations it puts on your activities. Partial knee resurfacing with X3® technology may relieve your pain and restore the function in your knee. Talk to your doctor today about the treatment options that may provide the pain relief you long for and help enable you to return to your favorite activities.
Stryker Corporation or its divisions or other corporate affiliated entities own, use or have applied for the following trademarks or service marks: Stryker, Triathlon and X3. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners or holders.
References:
1. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases Website, November 2005.
2. 2008 Projection, Millennium Research Group, 2005.
3. Newman, John H., Unicompartmental Knee Replacement, The Knee, 7 (2000), pp. 63-70.
4. Stryker Orthopaedics Test Report: 06-013.