CHENNAI: OrthoGlide, a minimally invasive surgical alternative for patients with osteoarthritis, comes as a blessing to those suffering from knee pain in the city.Dr A K Venkatachalam, consultant orthopaedic surgeon, introduced this surgical option for the first time in the state when he successfully performed the procedure on a 67-year-old patient from Thiruvarur in April this year.This procedure is called ‘Unicompartmental interpositional arthroplasty’ with an OrthoGlide implant. At a press meet on Thursday Dr Venkatachalam said, “The procedure takes 40 to 60 minutes to perform and patients can be discharged on the same or next day with minimal post-operative restrictions.”When conventional treatment fails for a patient, surgical procedure is usually recommended. The OrthoGlide is designed to replace much of the function of the cartilage that has been lost due to osteoarthritis in the medial (inner) part of the knee. It is a contoured, disc-shaped device made of cobalt-chrome that is positioned between the two bones of the knee joint. This is done through a small (2-3 inch) incision in the front of the knee. There is no cutting of the bone, no requirement of screws or cement; the wedge shape of the OrthoGlide device keeps it in place. This procedure also helps relieve pressure, restore joint alignment, redistribute the load evenly to the outside of the knee and increase stability. “Following the procedure, patients are allowed to take weight on their knee on the same day. Generally, no formal rehabilitation is required, just some simple exercises at home. The incision takes two weeks to heal and patients can slowly return to their regular activities. In six months they can completely return to normal life as the OrthoGlide settles in,” said Dr Venkatachalam.This procedure costs Rs 1.25 lakh.
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