Frequently Asked Questions

UniSpacer

Am I a candidate?

The UniSpacer Knee System was developed for patients who have exhausted traditional treatments for knee pain like physician therapy, exercise, weight loss, pain-relieving medications, and arthroscopy, and want an alternative to knee replacement.  Not every arthritis patient is a candidate.  You may be a candidate if arthritis primarily affects the inside half of your knee.  Patients affected by this condition often walk bow-legged.  Patients with arthritis under the kneecap or on the outside half of the knee may not benefit from the UniSpacer Knee System.  It is important to discuss with your doctor whether the UniSpacer Knee System is right for you.

How long is the surgery?

The operation is conducted under general or regional anesthesia and typically takes about 1 hour to complete.

How long is the recovery period?

A majority of patients recover their knee function within 6 weeks.  After that, recovery is slower and complete recovery may take as much as a year.  Typically, post-surgical soreness and swelling lasts about 8-12 weeks. As recovery progresses, patients can expect to feel some muscle pain in the leg and hip areas as they build up muscles that have been inactive.

How long can patients expect pain?

Because of the nature of the UniSpacer surgical approach, sculpting cartilage rather than cutting bone, there is not an immediate relief of pain for some patients.  In a 4-year study of 157 patients, 13.4% of patients that undergo UniSpacer implantation still have unacceptable pain at 1 year, resulting in a revision to another knee implant.  However, at 6 months postop, most patients (70%) who did not require revision had little (mild) or no knee pain.  This study also shows the success rate for the UniSpacer device to be 74.5% after 4 years.1

Surgical outcomes depend on each patient’s personal circumstances.  Patients may experience short- or long-term post-operative pain.  As with any joint replacement surgery, the outcome can depend on individual factors like weight, activity level, bone quality, and how well the physical therapy routine is followed after surgery.  Proper placement of the implant is also very important.  All patients may not experience every potential benefit.  These points should be discussed with the surgeon before the surgery

How long until the patient can walk?

Patients may be placed in a brace after surgery but they will be able to put full weight on their operated leg immediately (as they can tolerate) using crutches or an assistive device

How long can patients expect to wear a leg brace?

Typically, patients will wear the brace for 1 to 2 weeks, unless otherwise specified by their doctor.

How long can patients expect to go to physical therapy?

That depends on the patient’s individual needs.  The typical length of therapy is 6 to 8 weeks.

When can patients go back to work?

That depends on the patient’s job requirements and his or her tolerance.  In general, patients may find that they can return to office work in 2 to 3 weeks or to a job that requires standing in about 8 weeks.  It could take 3 to 6 months for a patient to return to a labor job.

What type of activities can patients do or not do after the surgery?

The UniSpacer Knee System is designed to bring relief to patients with significant knee pain so they may be able to enjoy more day-to-day activities after recovering from surgery.  Typically patients who undergo knee surgery are advised to avoid high impact sports such as:

  • Jogging
  • Basketball
  • Racquetball
  • Gymnatics, etc.

Safer activities may include the following:

  • Walking
  • Golf
  • Swimming
  • Bicycling 

Will the UniSpacer Implant set off metal detectors?

Patients have reported mixed experiences at airports; some detectors go off and some don;t.  Patients may ask their doctors about a card to carry in their wallets explaining that they have a metal implant in their knee.

How do I find a surgeon?

Surgeons who perform the UniSpacer knee surgery must receive training through the Zimmer Institute or at one of its MIS satellite training locations at renowned academic institutions around the world.

To find an orthopaedic surgeon in your area, go to the Find A Doctor area on the web site.

 

References

1. Data on file at Zimmer.