Fitting a Woman’s Knee

New joint implant has a unique, more natural shape and size for women

Gardening calls for strong knees—and Jean Czekner is able to enjoy it once again, thanks to a new knee implant designed just for women.

When Jean Czekner of Bethlehem had her left knee replaced in April 2006, it relieved the arthritic pain she’d lived with for 10 years. When it came time to have the right knee done seven months later, orthopedic surgeon Eric Lebby, M.D., offered her a new option—a knee implant specifically designed for women—at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network.

“I would never complain about my left knee because the pain is gone, but I can really feel the difference in the right knee,” Czekner says. “It doesn’t feel mechanical at all, and I can hardly tell it’s not my original knee.”

Traditional implants sometimes have felt bulky to women and caused discomfort and limited range of motion. The new Gender Solutions™ Knee has a contoured shape that more closely matches a woman’s knee dimensions and smaller kneecap. It also can be useful for men who have smaller bone structure.

“Knee implants have come in different sizes for years, but the Gender knee is the first implant that fits the unique anatomy of a woman’s knee,” Lebby says. “This prevents some of the problems with movement that were experienced in the past.” Lebby and his colleague, orthopedic surgeon Prodromos Ververeli, M.D., were the first physicians in the Lehigh Valley offering the new product.

Czekner feels the benefit of her Gender knee. “I recovered more quickly, needed less physical therapy and have more flexibility in that knee,” she says. “I’m walking, kneeling, driving—and best of all, my husband and I can finally visit the Battleship New Jersey in Camden. I couldn’t have handled the stairs before, but now I’m ready.”

Want to Know More about the Gender Solutions Knee™? Call 610-402-CARE.

Published from Healthy You Magazine, July-August 2007

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