Study shows older knee replacements as good as newer models

According to new research from the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and the University of East Anglia, older knee replacement designs are just as effective as newer models. A new study published in the journal BMJ Open compares the effectiveness of two established knee replacements. Eighty osteoarthritis patients, who received total knee replacements in 2018 and 2019, took part in the CAPAbility study - a blinded randomised controlled trial run by researchers at NNUH and UEA. The study found no difference in outcomes between the Genesis II and Journey II BCS knee implants six months after surgery. The study is the largest published total knee replacement comparison to date and patients will be reviewed three and five years after surgery. Prof Mcnamara said: "For healthcare providers, older implants are often less expensive and, in the absence of clinical benefit with demonstrable longevity, the additional expenditure on more modern designs could be avoided.