Rare Deformity of Knee: Computer Navigation-aided Complex Knee Replacement Surgery Helps Crawling Woman Walk Upright After 15 years

• The 50-year-old woman was suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis that affected her knees and caused severe acute flexion deformity (a condition in which knees are permanently bent more than ninety degrees).
• Such cases are extremely rare and we have treated about a dozen such crawling patients in the last 17-18 years of exclusive joint replacement practice, says Vivek Logani, Chief, Paras Joint Replacement & Sports Injury Centre, Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon.
• With the computer navigation technology (to ensure accuracy and bone preservation) and special soft tissue release techniques, it is safer to allow correction of deformity easily in a few days of surgery without aggressive physiotherapy.
• After AIIMS, Now Paras hospital has Bone Preservation facility.

Gurugram, August 09, 2019: Old age comes with its fair share of complications, with Rheumatoid Arthritis being one of the most painful, which can escalate to sever flexion deformity. Now, Paras has come up with an effective solution, as they successfully cured a a patient above maladies, without need for an extensive physiotherapy. Using their recent novelty- bone preservation, Paras has done the unattainable as it provided a conclusive relief to this ongoing problem. 

50 years old Sandhyawati, who hails from village Khosli, Rewari, Haryana, had been suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis for fifteen years. Her knees had been so badly damaged that for the last year or so they had assumed severe acute flexion deformity (a condition in which knees are permanently bent more than ninety degrees) rendering her bedridden and unable to stand or walk at all. Her attempts at self-mobilization were limited to crawling on ground by taking support of her hands for a few steps. Life had come to a stand-still with no hope of walking ever again. Despite prior diagnosis and surgery at innumerable hospitals in the pass, no conclusive solution came to this malady.  As a final effort to get a respite, she was referred to Paras Joint Replacement & Sports Injury Centre.

“Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune inflammatory arthritis which affects small as well as large joints of the body and rapidly destroys the joint cartilage unless specific therapy is started early. After careful examination and physical assessment, we apprised the patient of the possible risks and complications of the corrective surgery and decided operate upon the case. Such cases are extremely challenging and quite rare in the practice of Joint Replacement and we have had the opportunity to treat about a dozen such crawling patients in the last 17-18 years of exclusive joint replacement practice. The complexity of the procedure is enormous and risks of nerve and blood-vessel damage are very high”, said Dr Vivek Logani, Chief, Paras Joint Replacement & Sports Injury Centre who led the surgical team.

A team, led by the competent Dr Vivek Logani, Chief, Paras Joint Replacement & Sports Injury Centre, helped in providing complete correction of deformity in about 10 days after surgery. The surgery and recuperation was so decisive that the patient got relief without suffering any complications to nerves and blood vessels. She can now able to bear full weight and is currently able to walk with the support of walker. In fact, she does exercises on her own without the need of a physiotherapist anymore.

“Such neglected cases are hardly reported in literature as surgery is generally not attempted owing to high risk of complications. They are not seen in western countries as patients do not reach such a complicated stage as treatment is instituted early. With the computer navigation technology (to ensure accuracy and bone preservation) and special soft tissue release techniques, it is possible to simplify the complexity of the procedure to make it safer and to allow correction of deformity easily in a few days of surgery without aggressive physiotherapy”, said Dr Logani.

There is a wide spread need of awareness that Rheumatoid Arthritis is completely treatable if proper therapy is started early and even such severe deformities can be treated successfully with Computer navigation technology and surgical experience. Bone preservation is an essential aspect of medical science that India should explore. While AIIMS was the first on to introduce this facility, Paras, Gurugram is the 2^nd hospital to include this cutting-edge practice to their roster of prolific healthcare facilities.

Corporate Comm India (CCI Newswire)