DJO Surgical teamed up with W. Andrew Hodge, M.D. and Scott Banks, Ph.D. of the Orthopedic Research Laboratory in West Palm Beach, Florida, to develop the innovative 3DKnee™. Using moving x-ray images of healthy, active, total knees, and applying novel fluoroscopic imaging technology to study the motions of knees with artificial implants, Drs. Hodge and Banks made significant discoveries about the way healthy and implanted knees behave:
- Many total knee arthroplasty designs exhibited excessive anteroposterior translation, most often with the femur sliding forward on the tibia as the knee flexed.
- Implant retrieval studies showed that excessive translation could accelerate wear on the tibial bearing surface, reducing implant longevity.
- Knees with poorly controlled translations exhibited poor weight-bearing flexion and were functionally weaker in demanding activities.
Drs. Hodge and Banks determined that restoring knee stability was critical to achieving excellent strength, flexion and longevity for knee arthroplasty patients. Their challenge was to create a design that provided this stability with minimum bone resection and achieved knee mechanics compatible with outstanding function and implant longevity.
The result of their extensive research is the 3DKnee — an implant design that restores more natural knee stability without sacrificing bone or imposing high stresses on the tibial bearing [12, 13]. The DJO Surgical 3DKnee offers an implant like none other: designed to be stronger, more stable, more durable, with higher performance and wider range of motion.
W. Andrew Hodge, M.D.
Joint Replacement Surgeon for more than 20 years; Faculty at MIT School of Mechanical Engineering; Founder and Director of the Orthopedic Research Lab; served as Clinical Director of the Biomotion Laboratory at Massachusetts General and co-director of the Harvard-MIT Rehabilitation Engineering Center. Has performed more than 4000 total knee replacements in his career. W. Andrew Hodge, MD is widely published and recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities in Biomechanical Research.
Scott Banks, Ph. D.
Mechanical Engineer specializing in implant innovation; Engineering faculty at the University of Florida; Director of the International Society for Technology in Arthroplasty; Graduate of MIT with a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering. He pioneered the use of fluoroscopic imaging to analyze human joint motion, leading to many new implant designs, surgical techniques, and leading biomechanics studies. Widely published, Dr. Banks enjoys collaborations with dozens of centers worldwide and lectures widely on the results and applications of his research.