Orthopedics This Week reports on the findings of an HSS study published in The Bone and Joint Journal which examined 4,135 patients who have received a total knee replacement (TKA) using common knee implant brands, to access the impact of implant design on patient-reported outcomes. Patients were evaluated preoperatively using the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Lower Extremity Activity Scale (LEAS), and 12-Item Short-Form-Health Survey questionnaire (SF-12). Two years post-surgery, researchers found no clinically significant differences in the change of KOOS score from baseline to two-year follow-up between the groups.

Study co-author Douglas E. Padgett, MD, Associate Surgeon-in-Chief and Deputy Medical Director at HSS, cited, “The main observation is that most modern-day knee implants are well designed and if proper surgical technique is utilized, there is very little difference in outcome. As such, surgeons and administrators can use this information as a point of reference in implant price negotiations. There appears to be very little justification for ‘premium pricing’ based upon our data.”

Read the full article at ryortho.com.