Do new prosthetic knees for women really make a difference?
By Julie Kirkwood, Staff Writer Published November 06, 2006, Eagle-Tribune Dr. Thomas Hoerner, wearing a surgical mask and gown, slipped a metal prosthetic piece over the end of his female patient’s thigh bone during a knee-replacement procedure last month. It fit nicely. “A woman’s femur tends to be narrower,” he said, pointing out how this new implant, made specifically for women, fits the bone without sticking out at the edges. A traditional implant, used in men and women, would have been slightly wider for the same length, he said, maybe even a little wider than her bone. Doctors have known for years that women’s knees are different from men’s. Women’s knees are narrower, they attach at a slightly different angle, and they are more prone to injury. Now the business world is catching on. As scientists learn more about the biomechanics of women’s bodies, companies are using the information to market everything from women’s mountain bikes to women’s knee braces. The new artificial kne
