Scott Bigelow, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Lincoln (Neb.) Orthopaedic Center is one of the few surgeons performing customized knee replacement surgery, according to the Journal Star.
Here are five things to know:
1. The procedure involves using a custom implant.
2. Dr. Bigelow was the first physician in Nebraska to start doing total knee replacements with customized implants. He's now one of two in the state who do them.
3. The implants come from a Massachusetts-based company called ConforMIS.
4. Dr. Bigelow has been performing total knee replacement surgeries for 20 years and was looking for a better option than trying to match mass-produced implants to patients' knee joints.
5. The ConforMIS knee uses a proprietary platform to create a 3-D map of a patient's knee after the patient has had a CT scan. The company then uses a 3-D printer to produce a precise wax mold that is used to form the metal components of the knee. The result is an implant designed for optimal bone preservation and made in the exact shape and size of the patient's natural knee.