FDA approves wrist replacement implant designed by HSS surgeon
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A new total wrist replacement device has been approved by the FDA, according to a Hospital for Special Surgery release.
The device is the product of 3 decades of research and was designed by Scott Wolfe, MD, a hand surgeon at HSS, and Joseph J. Crisco III, PhD, director of the bioengineering laboratory at Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital. It was developed to help alleviate pain and restore function to patients with hand and wrist arthritis.
“We believe the new wrist replacement, known as the KinematX Total Wrist Implant, has advantages over traditional implants,” Wolfe said in the release. “Our extensive research into how the wrist moves helped us design a replacement that more closely matches the anatomy and motion of a normal wrist. This should allow for more natural motion and increased durability compared to currently available implants.”
The KinematX is a first-of-its kind, computer-designed wrist implant to mimic the kinematics of a human wrist, Wolfe noted. The design should create a more durable wrist replacement than traditional devices, according to the release.
“In our view, the KinematX will be a game changer in the field of wrist replacement surgery,” Doug Leach, managing director of biomechanical innovation at the HSS Innovation Institute, said in the release. “Current wrist replacement devices are relatively dated. The new implant design leverages the clinical and bioengineering experience of Drs. Wolfe and Crisco, their seminal research, and modern-day engineering and design principals of total joint replacement in general.”
Reference:
https://news.hss.edu/fda-approves-new-total-wrist-replacement-device-to-treat-painful-arthritis/