Someone recently
asked me about the size of the implant that was used in my ankle. So
I asked my surgeon if he remembered or knew. He said that he didn't
know, but that if he had to guess, it was probably a small size. He
also said that the decision on which size implant to use is made when
the patient is on the table.
My implant is the STAR implant--Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement. At the moment,
it's the top of the line, most advanced ankle in the world. It's a 3
part system...2 metal parts go into the bones and there is a plastic
part (that you really can't see on the x-ray unless you look really
hard and see what looks like a thin pin) that acts like the
cartilage. He said that the 2 metal parts come in 6 different sizes
and the plastic part comes in 8-10 sizes...so the entire thing is
very custom. I'm like a custom built Buick :) The nice thing
about the three part system is that if one of the parts starts to
wear, it can be replaced without the others having to be touched.
I asked if the
plastic part was the most likely piece to wear first because it acts
like cartilage...he said yes. And get this...he said that it's a 5
minute procedure to replace that part because he's just making an
incision large enough to pop out the old part and put in the new one.
I wonder if they even need to put you under general anesthesia for that? The way he
explained it, it sounded easier than when I had root canal! Have I
ever mentioned my hatred for all things dentist related?
To read about my full ankle replacement journey, please click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment