Doctors perform India’s first CT scan-based knee replacement

CHANDIGARH - A 53-year-old woman from Delhi was operated for India’s first CT scan-based custom-fit total knee replacement surgery at Fortis Hospital in Mohali, near here.

Even as knee replacement surgeries are considered to be the last resort and for ripe old age, doctors say CT scan-based knee replacements can be useful for younger ages as they have the right fitting making it long-lasting.

Doctors at the hospital say this surgery increases the longevity of the joint replacement by more than 10 years, making it fit even for those in younger age groups, like Mohini Taneja, who was operated Wednesday.

“Earlier, knee replacement surgery was taken as the last resort and only for those in very old age because its life was 10 to 15 years only. With the custom-fit knee replacement, we take up its life to 25 to 30 years, making it fit for younger ages like this 53-year-old woman,” Additional Director, Dept. of Orthopaedics and Joint Replacement at Fortis hospital, Manuj Wadhwa told IANS over phone.

“The patient developed arthritis at the age of 30. The problem went on increasing as she was overweight and finally at 53 she was not able to walk. Usually, knee replacement is not preferred for this age as the life of the artificial joint is 10 to 15 years, but with the CT scan-based total fit replacements, it is possible to find a solution for younger patients,” he said adding “a better fitting joint will always have a longer life”.

The procedure uses CT scan for taking the pictures of the joint, and an artificial joint is crafted based on the pictures.

“The accuracy is up to 0.1 mm and 0.1 degree. A 3D model of the knee is made through pictures taken by CT scan and the images are sent to bio-engineers in the United States where a personalized knee is created and shipped to India,” Wadhwa said.

The time for surgery is also reduced considerably as fitting is easier, he said.

“The surgery takes 15 to 20 minutes compared to more than an hour needed in the lengthy procedures that are required otherwise in fitting the joint. This new technique eliminates 22 steps during the surgery as compared to a conventional surgery.

“It also means reduced infections, anaesthesia requirements, blood loss, faster recovery and a longer lasting implant solution,” he said.

These tailor-made joints are, however, heavier on the pocket of the patient as an extra expenditure of approximately Rs.50,000 is required to order the joint.

The doctor added that this technique is more accurate compared to the MRI-based surgeries wherein MRI is used for taking the images.

“So far, MRI was used for the imaging, however, while MRI is good for imaging tissues, CT scan is best for imaging bones and gives the most accurate picture of the joint. The CT scan procedure is new and was launched only six months back in the USA,” Wadhwa added.