The Warsaw, Ind.-based medical device company Zimmer Biomet has launched Vanguard Individualized Design, a new total knee arthroplasty implant.
Here's what you need to know:
1. A traditional knee replacement utilizes a one-piece polyethylene bearing, which is placed between metal portions of the implant.
2. Vanguard Individualized Design utilizes two polyethylene bearings, which allows for a more flexible application. Surgeons can mix and match bearings of various thickness and size to personalize the implant for each patient.
3. Zimmer Biomet says this individualized implant preserves a patient's soft tissue, fine tunes the knee's balance and restores a patient's normal range of motion more effectively than a traditional knee replacement.