Stryker | ShapeMatch Cutting Guides | Which Medical Device

Description

From Which Medical Device

The ShapeMatch system is a customised jig system for the Triathlon knee, the combination of which is called the Triathlon CustomFit Knee®. The technology was originally developed by OtisMed Corporation, which was bought by Stryker in 2009. The planning software uses MRI or CT data for preoperative planning. Where this system varies from others is in the way the alignment of the knee is determined. The traditional emphasis is on restoration of the mechanical axis of the limb, such that the hip, knee and ankle centres lie in a vertical line. However, this system aims to restore the kinematic alignment of the knee by, for example, aligning the flexion/extension axis of the knee with the centre of circles drawn around the medial and lateral femoral condyles, rather than the epicondylar axes. This reduces the need for ligament release for balancing and is said therefore to lead to faster rehabilitation. A report of the system from the developer and applied to the Biomet Vanguard knee showed that the mechanical axis of the knee was well preserved, even though kinematic instrumentation had been used for implantation (1).