Nicole Wechsler suffered from advanced osteoarthritis of the knee. As she had always done a lot of sport and did not want to give it up, she underwent surgery on her knee joint with an individualised, personalised knee prosthesis.
Nicole Wechsler was increasingly experiencing knee pain and frequently had to avoid exercise. Unwilling to accept these restrictions, she sought a specialist.
Prof. Dr. Markus Arnold identified that Nicole Wechsler was suffering from advanced osteoarthritis of the knee. He recommended replacing her knee joint with an individualised, personalised knee prosthesis. His recommendation was based on the anatomy of the knee, as well as the patient’s rather young age and her desire to be able to put weight on her knee again without restriction, both in everyday life and during sports such as volleyball or tennis.
Problem-free operation
The replacement of a knee joint with a prosthesis is a major procedure. Nicole Wechsler was aware of that. It was also clear to her that, after the operation, she would need to play her part in strengthening her leg muscles and mobilising the joint. She began preparing for this before the surgery.
Greater quality of life after the operation
The operation went well, and the early healing phase afterwards was ideal: Nicole Wechsler was able to walk unaided after just two weeks. After a few weeks, and a lot sooner than usual, she was able to stop taking pain relief. Today, the primary-school teacher can once again practise all sports without restriction, so greatly improving her quality of life.
Until now, we always had to adapt the knee to suit the available prosthesis. With an individualised prosthesis, it’s the other way round: we adapt the prosthesis to the knee. This makes much more sense.
