 | If you are facing knee replacement surgery, it’s likely that you want to know as much as you can about the kinds of knees available. One of the more promising advances in the technology of knee joint replacement is the rotating platform knee. The LCS (Low Contact Stress) COMPLETE Total Knee System is a rotating platform implant that closely simulates the action of the normal knee |
| joint. The LCS COMPLETE is based on the original LCS® Total Knee System, which has been in use since 1977. It allows the knee to twist and turn (called rotation), as well as move back and forth, flexing and extending (called articulation). More traditional knee implants use fixed parts, which cannot reproduce the knee’s full range of motion. |
| How Does a Mobile-Bearing Knee Work? |
Each LCS COMPLETE Knee System is made up of four main parts:- A tibial component, which replaces the top of the shinbone (tibia). In a rotating platform knee, this tibial component is a metal alloy tray that covers the end of the tibia.
- A tibial insert, which fits into the tibial component and lies between the point where the tibia and femur (thigh bone) meet. This insert is disk-shaped and made of a very strong plastic called polyethylene. The tibial insert sits on a highly polished surface and rotates around a conical post.
- The femoral component, which replaces the two femoral condyles, the bony ridges at the end of the femur, and the groove in the femur where the patella (kneecap) runs.
- The patellar component, which replaces the bony surface on the top of the kneecap that runs in a groove along the bottom of the thighbone. This is a dome-shaped piece of polyethylene shaped like a natural kneecap.
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| How is a Rotating Platform Knee Implant Different from a Fixed-Bearing Implant? |
| The difference lies in the design of the tibial component. In a fixed-knee prosthesis, the tibial component is topped with a flat metal piece that securely holds the polyethylene insert. When the knee moves, the femoral component glides across the polyethylene. Because the bumpy condyles at the end of the femur are not perfectly round, differing amounts of stress are put on the insert as the knee moves. |
In a rotating platform knee prosthesis, the polyethylene insert can rotate, which gives the knee implant a more natural contact between the femoral component and the polyethylene. Because the polyethylene can rotate with the femoral component, the contact between the two can be more evenly distributed, reducing stress on the implant.
While the majority of knees implanted have traditionally been fixed-bearing, the rotating platform total knee replacement is quickly gaining surgeon acceptance. |
| Why Choose the LCS COMPLETE Total Knee System? |
The LCS COMPLETE Total Knee System offers important advantages:- Clinically proven durability. The original LCS Knee System has been used successfully since 1977, longer than any other rotating platform knee available today.
- A design that distributes stress evenly, reducing wear and tear. Stresses from everyday activities are spread out over a large area in the LCS Complete knee because the implant parts are in greater contact with one another. The rotating platform knee also lets the stresses of activity flow into the soft body tissues around the implant rather than into the components themselves. This design reduces the stresses that can lead to polyethylene wear and gives the implant a longer life.
- A motion that closely imitates the natural knee, reducing risk of loosening. Our natural stride is a complex motion involving both back-and-forth and side-to-side motion. The LCS Complete Knee System reproduces this give and take. Because the tibial component rotates, it takes pressure off the areas where the bone and the implant come together, reducing the risk that the implant will loosen over time.
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| What are the Results with the LCS COMPLETE Total Knee System? |
| The majority of total knees implanted are fixed-bearing knees. As indicated above, the original LCS Total Knee System has been used in the United States for over 20 years. Several clinical studies have shown excellent long-term results; with more than 95% of implants still functioning well decades after surgery. |
| Who is a Candidate for Knee Replacement with the LCS COMPLETE Total Knee System? |
| Because the rotating platform knee implants are designed for longer performance with less wear, many surgeons may recommend them for certain types of patients. Prime candidates for rotating platform prostheses are typically younger than 65 years old, more active, or weigh 25% more than their ideal body weight. Only a qualified orthopaedic surgeon trained in total knee replacement can provide advice about knee replacement surgery with the LCS COMPLETE Total Knee System. See your MBO Specialist to learn more. |
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