Smith & Nephew, plc., a U.K.-based orthopedics manufacturer, recently announced the launch of the updated Journey II Unicompartmental Knee (UK) System. The Journey II UK system is provided as modular components in two-trays. The update announced May 20, 2020 includes the addition of a lateral-specific tibia baseplate and a greater range of femoral component and medial tibia baseplate sizes.
Smith & Nephew Launches New Journey II Unicompartmental Knee System
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#kneereplacementSecondary#partialkneearthroplasty#unicompartmentalarthroplasty
Unicompartmental procedures are intended to limit the cost to payers by reducing implant and procedure costs. The Journey II UK system helps to achieve these lower costs in part by slimming the kit to two trays, which will reduce sterilization costs and reduced OR footprint.
Company President of Orthopaedics Skip Kiil said, “Our Journey II Unicompartmental Knee System brings a much-needed solution to the partial knee space. Our customers want it because partial knees enable faster recovery and improved functionality for their patients.”
In addition to the range of sizes of femoral and tibial components, the Journey II Unicompartmental Knee system femoral component is made with Oxinium™, a zirconium alloy metal with a ceramic zirconium oxide outer layer. The material has less friction leading to a lower wear rate in the cross-linked polyethylene used on the interfacing tibial component.
Tad Gerlinger, M.D., of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, and consultant to Smith & Nephew spoke excitedly about the update. “The updated instrumentation presented by the Journey II Unicompartmental Knee System, paired with the increased range in implant sizes and a lateral specific baseplate, makes it easy to reproducibly perform well-balanced medial and lateral unicompartmental arthroplasties,” he said in the company press release.
Kiil expects the Journey II UK system “to deliver high patient satisfaction.” The updated system is now available in Europe and North America.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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