FIRST SENSOR-ASSISTED TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT IN SAN ANTONIO PERFORMED AT SOUTH TEXAS SPINE & SURGICAL HOSPITAL

VERASENSE™ is an innovative sensor device used in total knee replacement to   help surgeons improve knee balance and implant position

January 17, 2020, San Antonio, TX  – South Texas Spine & Surgical Hospital with local orthopedic surgeon Adam Harris, M.D. are now offering  VERASENSE™ Sensor-Assisted Total Knee Replacement (TKR). VERASENSE is a sensor device used in primary and revision total knee replacement, with the goal of improving patient outcomes and satisfaction.1-3  

During surgery,  Dr. Harris temporarily inserts VERASENSE between the components of the knee implant. As the knee is taken through a full range of motion, the sensor wirelessly sends data to a monitor in the operating room. This real-time data helps the surgeon to make important decisions regarding soft tissue balance and to customize the implant position. Once the implant position is stabilized, the sensor is removed and replaced with a permanent implant. 

Knee instability is a leading cause of patient dissatisfaction after total knee replacement. Before VERASENSE, surgeons generally relied on their “best judgment” in determining what “felt” like a balanced knee. The subjectivity of TKR, coupled with improper soft tissue balance and implant position, may result in premature implant failure and the need for revision surgery in the future.4-7

Patients whose knees were balanced using VERASENSE have reported being “satisfied” to “very satisfied” with their knee replacement 98% of the time at three years after surgery. A review of comparative literature within the same follow-up interval shows that, on average, only 87% of patients reported being “satisfied” to “very satisfied.”1

Dr. Adam Harris was pleased with his outcomes before using Verasense. He states that they are better yet with Verasense. “Experience is a great teacher, but there is nothing like having sensitive, real time feedback for fine tuning each knee replacement. The goal of knee replacement is to both relieve pain and to improve function. Both are more reliably achieved by adding this tool to my technique, said Dr. Harris.”

In addition to primary TKR, VERASENSE is also used during revision TKR. Revision knee replacement can be necessary for various reasons. Sometimes, improper soft tissue balance of a patient’s original TKR procedure – resulting in persistent pain, instability and stiffness – may be the cause.4-8 In these cases, your surgeon may be able to use VERASENSE to correct this imbalance and potentially replace fewer metal components than planned, resulting in implant cost savings, lower risk of complication, and shorter rehabilitation time.9

Learn more about the clinical and economic advantages of VERASENSE Sensor-Assisted Total Knee Replacement at www.OrthoSensor.com.

About South Texas Spine and Surgical Hospital

Surgery Partners has partnered with local physicians to establish South Texas Spine & Surgical Hospital. In this partnership, the physicians assist in management of the hospital, resulting in a hospital solely run for the benefit of the patient. This innovative approach creates an integrated and holistic approach to healthcare. As a nationally recognized center for spine and joint care excellence, STSSH takes pride in providing the highest quality clinical care in a one-on-one, warm and caring environment. For additional information, please visit www.southtexassurgical.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.  

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References:

1. Gustke, K., Golladay, G., Roche, M., Elson, L., Jerry, G., Anderson, C. The satisfied total knee replacement patient: 3-year multicenter study. EC Orthopedics 9.3 (2018): 122-127.
2. Gustke KA, Golladay GJ, Roche MW, Elson LC, Anderson CR. Primary TKA Patients with Quantifiably Balanced Soft-Tissue Achieve Significant Clinical Gains Sooner than Unbalanced Patients. Advances in Orthopedics, vol. 2014, Article ID 628695, 6 pages, 2014.
   3. Gustke KA, Golladay GJ, Roche MW, Elson LC, Anderson CR. A new method for defining balance: promising short-term clinical outcomes of sensor-guided TKA. J Arthroplasty 2014;29:955–960. 
3. Parratte S, Pagnano MW. Instability after total knee arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2008; 90: 184–94.
   5. Lombardi AV Jr1, Berend KR1, Adams JB1. Why knee replacements fail in 2013: patient, surgeon, or implant? Bone Joint J. 2014 Nov;96-B(11 Supple A):101-4.
   6. Bozic KJ, Kurtz SM, Lau E, Ong K, Chiu V, Vail TP, Rubash HE, Berry DJ. The epidemiology of revision total knee arthroplasty in the United States. Clin Orthop Relat Res.2010; 468(1):45–51.
   7. Rodriguez-Merchan, EC. Instability Following Total Knee Arthroplasty. HSS J. Oct 2011; 7(3): 273–278.
4. Schroer WC, Berend KR, Lombardi AV, et al. Why are total knees failing today? Etiology of total knee revision in 2010 and 2011. J Arthroplasty 2013;28(8 Suppl):116–119.
5. Leone W, Geller J, Chow J, Branovacki G, Mariani J, Golladay G, Meere P. Using Sensors to Evaluate Revision TKA: Treating the “Looks Good; Feels Bad” Knee. EC Orthopaedics. 3.5 (2016): 381-385.