Zimmer Biomet: Vanguard System Will "Revolutionize" Total Knee Replacement

By Jof Enriquez,
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Orthopaedic products manufacturer Zimmer Biomet has unveiled Vanguard Individualized Design (ID), which is touted as a first-of-its-kind total knee arthroplasty (TKA) personalized construct, with dual bearings to better preserve the natural tissues surrounding the knee joint.

Most traditional knee implants feature a one-piece bearing made of polyethylene placed between metal portions of the implant. With Vanguard ID, Zimmer Biomet furthers this common design, incorporating two individual polyethylene bearings, with different articulations, on the medial and lateral sides of the knee. Orthopaedic surgeons can choose the exact specifications – thickness (up to 2 mm) and geometry of each bearing – depending on the patient knee's unique anatomical features and the surgeon's specific preferences.

"I believe that our newly released Vanguard Individualized Design will revolutionize total knee replacement. With the ability to fine tune the knee's balance through the use of independent medial and lateral bearing thickness and constraint options, we will arm the surgeon with the ultimate soft tissue respecting capability," said Todd Davis, VP and GM of Zimmer Biomet’s global Knee business, in a news release.

The company launched the Vanguard knee system in 2003, and it allowed personalization of custom knee replacements by offering the widest range of sizes. Zimmer Biomet says Vanguard ID continues the legacy of the original product by featuring the only TKA system with dual bearings, which allows unprecedented articulation in the replacement knee.

"Maintaining natural ligament tension while preserving healthy soft tissue is critical not only to restore normal range of motion but to achieve patient satisfaction," said Tom Aleto, M.D. (Missouri Orthopedic Institute, Columbia, MO).  "In traditional knee design, surgeons typically release healthy soft tissues in an attempt to balance the knee and maintain feasible kinematics. Because the Vanguard ID allows me to mix and match components, I am able to individually treat each compartment while maintaining healthy soft tissues.”

According to Zacks/Yahoo Finance, Zimmer Biomet in the second quarter posted a five percent sales growth in the knee implant category, whose whole market is estimated to be valued at about $15 billion by 2018. Total knee replacements are one of the most successful procedures in all of medicine, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, with more than 600,000 knee replacements performed each year in the United States, citing figures from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.