Repicci II implant system

The Repicci II implant system is a self-aligning, unicompartmental implant system. The prosthesis is inserted by an extended arthroscopic technique combining low morbidity, low cost of an arthroscopic procedure with the pain relieving and rebalancing capability of a prosthetic implant system. The procedure consists of arthroscopy combined with uni-compartmental reconstruction using the implant system. A three inch incision is required. The patients are ambulatory on the day of surgery and discharged on the morning following surgery. The average blood loss is less than 30 ccÕs. No physical therapy is required.

The major question is, where does this procedure fit into modern orthopedics. The literature and personal experience indicate uni-compartmental prosthetic systems have good results in the low 90% range for approximately ten years. However, by twelve years, failure rates increase significantly dropping into the 80% success range. I therefore consider the uni-compartmental application as a serial replacement. In the younger senior citizen age group, mid fifties, it can provide good pain relief and improve functional capacity in the ten year range. The prosthesis has been designed for easy removal and it can be converted to a total knee replacement in the future, if necessary. The combined functional life of the uni-compartmental knee in conjuction with the future total knee replacement can increase the functional capacity of the entire system to twenty to thirty years. Many elderly with primary uni-compartmental symptomatology prefer a low morbidity limited procedure designed for pain relief rather than a total knee replacement fully understanding that they may or may not require a total knee replacement at some time in the future.

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