Advances in Knee Replacement Surgery for Active Baby Boomers

Healthymagination.com—July 25, 2011

Meeting the demand with 30-year knee implants and new surgical techniques

The majority of people coming into my office for knee surgery are in their 50s,” says Steven B. Haas MD, Chief of Knee Surgery and Attending Orthopedic Surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

Innovative technologies in implant design and surgical techniques are meeting the growing demand for knee replacements among active Baby Boomers, providing both longer-lasting results and a faster recovery.

Haas says that more recent knee implants are more functional than earlier versions, because the design has come a long way to fit the anatomy of the patient as closely as possible and provide a more natural articulation compared to the first knee implants that only hinged and were the same for both left and right sides.

Surgeons are also now using smaller instruments and minimally invasive surgical techniques to minimize trauma to the patient, leading to faster recovery. Dr. Hass developed the first minimally invasive surgical instruments in 2003.

Dr. Haas reports that Baby Boomers won’t settle for just walking around the block, “they want to be able to bike, hike, play tennis, ski, dance and play with their kids.”

All of this was good news for Jane Byron, age 51, a nurse who had both knees replaced in 2010 by Haas. Jane tore her meniscus in a rollerblading accident. After surgery by Dr. Haas and new knee implants, she was pedaling a stationary bike for 45 minutes two days after surgery and pressing 75 pounds on the squat rack two months later.

Read stories about other patients who have had knee replacement surgery.