Sharjah, Oct 19th, 2011 (WAM)--Al Zahra Hospital in Sharjah, announced today that it has performed a first-of-its-kind knee implant surgery in the UAE.
The Freedom Knee, the worlds first total knee system was implanted in a 48-year old female patient today. This implant has been tested and approved by the US FDA for high flexion activities (e.g. praying, kneeling and sitting on the floor). The latest development complements Al Zahra Hospitals continuous pursuit of new innovations in the medical field to ensure that UAE residents can be provided with the best possible treatments available across the globe. Dr Deepak Bhatia, Senior Orthopedic Consultant, Al Zahra Hospital, said, "This has been a breakthrough surgery for us, and we take pride in becoming the first hospital in the region to use a knee implant of this kind. This advanced knee replacement system requires minimum bone cutting, which is a major benefit for the patients, as our population is known to have a high incidence of osteoporosis and less bone stock."He added that "this knee provides the required high-flexion to allow our patients to perform their daily activities with complete freedom. Patients have also been able to carry out sporting activities such as swimming, golfing, tennis, and hill walking after undergoing this surgery". Dr Asit Shah, the lead designer behind the Freedom Knee, pointed out, "Long survival of any joint implant needs good anthropometric analysis based on the target population, and the implant design should take these specific anatomical differences into consideration. The Middle Eastern knee is different as there is a difference in the shape and angle of the tibia and femur. The Freedom Knee has been launched by Mosaic International, one of the leading healthcare solutions providers in the GCC, in association with Maxx Medical, a global medical device company with USA-based research and manufacturing facilities.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2011.
