Upgrade to Custom with Platinum Services
About
Conformis offers the only fully customized knee replacement implant available in the United States. Each implant is tailor made to replicate a patient’s individual anatomy, and thus, each implant is unique. Along with this patient-specific implant, Conformis designs 3D printed guides that enable the surgeon to precisely place the implant in the orientation that ensures proper joint alignment, function and stability. These guides are also fully customized for each patient. Both the implant and the guides are engineered based on a 3D CT scan which includes images through the hip and ankle to calculate limb alignment and correct any arthritis deformity. Using this technique, Conformis allows the surgeon to place the implant in anatomical alignment which has been shown to reduce the need for soft tissue releases at the time of surgery and accelerate comfort and function.
You can learn more about the Platinum Service Custom Upgrade here.
Cost
Because each implant is custom manufactured, Conformis personalized knees require an out-of-pocket expense of $3500 above what insurance pays for a conventional off-the-shelf implant like those used in all other knee replacements including those that are robotically assisted. This covers the higher cost of goods for a made-to-measure implant with 3D printed guides.
One way to think about this cost is to divide it by the expected longevity of the implant which is 25+ years. This equates to about 35 cents a day for the potential of a better performing and more natural feeling knee.
Warranty
The Conformis Identity Platinum Services comes with the only limited warranty currently available for knee replacements. If patients require revision surgery for any reason directly related to the implant within 5 years of the original knee replacement, Conformis will reimburse the patient $3,000. No other company backs their technology with this kind of warranty.
How is this different than robotically assisted knee replacement?
All current systems that use a robot to assist in total knee replacement use off-the-shelf implants that are not custom fit to the patient. Although the surgical planning allows customized placement of the implant relative to the patient’s native anatomy, the implant itself is not patient-specific. This difference between the average shape of an off-the-shelf implant and the native individual shape of a patient’s knee may lead to some of the problems that account for why 10-20% of patients are not totally satisfied with the function of their knee replacement.
The 3D printed customized cutting jibs used in the Conformis Identity knee ensure proper placement of the implant to restore anatomy. This accomplishes the same goal as using a robot to assist in making the cuts for implant placement but does not require the additional time or exposure needed to place trackers that register the patient’s knee to the robot. To this end, the Conformis knee is less invasive while being just as precise.
Does Conformis have a proven track record?
Yes. Data from the Joint Registry of the United Kingdom, which tracks the survivorship of all implants, has proven that Conformis yields excellent mid- to long-term outcomes. In a study of patients with a Conformis knee on one side and off-the-shelf implant on the other side, the vast majority of patients preferred their Conformis knee.
More information on published studies confirming the benefits of the Conformis fully customized knee replacement can be found here.
