Health Watch is a public service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.

This week on Health Watch, we're talking about women's health. Nearly two-thirds of the patients who have knee-replacement surgery are women, but until recently, they've had to use replacement knees designed for men. Now, doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas are among the first to use knee replacements specifically designed for women.

Dr. Robert Bucholz, UT Southwestern's chairman of orthopaedic surgery, says this is a long-overdue improvement in knee-replacement surgery. 

Women's knees have a narrower shape than men's knees. The bone in the front of the knee is thinner, and women's thigh and shin bones connect at a different angle because of their wider hips. That affects the way the kneecap tracks as the knee goes through its range of movement.
 

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August 2006

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