Sometimes it’s the small changes that make the biggest difference. Gender-specific knee replacement surgery for women is fundamentally the same procedure as traditional knee replacement surgery. The knee implant itself, however, is the difference. It is designed to better accommodate the subtle nuances of a woman’s knee.

“There are slight changes in the size and shape of a gender-specific knee replacement that better accommodate the majority of female knees,” says orthopedic surgeon Charles B. Burrows, MD, FAAOS, of Doylestown Hospital and Mackell/Cody/Burrows Orthopaedics.

“Traditional implants sometimes do not quite fit in the knees of some women. That’s why this design change has occurred,” he notes. Traditional knee implants for women are based on the anatomy of a man’s knee, only made smaller. Gender-specific knee implants address the gender differences in shape as well as size. The goal is a more comfortable, custom-fitting implant offering optimal range of motion.

About 300,000 knee replacements are performed each year in this country. Most knee replacements are to relieve severe arthritis pain or help restore function after an injury. Candidates for the surgery are those whose pain has limited their abilities and mobility.