Zimmer gets U S OK for artificial knee for women

CHICAGO, May 10 (Reuters) Orthopedic device maker Zimmer Holdings Inc. today said it received approval from U S regulators to sell an artificial knee shaped specifically to fit women.

Zimmer said the Gender Solutions replacement knee is designed to alleviate pain, improve mobility and feel more natural in women, who receive nearly two-thirds of all knee implants. The design incorporates shape differences between women and men involving the bones, ligaments and tendons of the knee, the company said.

The product was developed after some women who received knee replacements complained of residual pain in the front of the knee around the kneecap or said their artificial knees did not move the way their healthy knees had before surgery.

Zimmer, the leading maker of knee and hip implants with about a third of the market, said the new knee is expected to be available globally in the fall. Some surgeons who helped to develop the product will begin implanting patients this spring.

Stryker Corp, a Zimmer competitor, sells its Triathlon knee, which comes in several sizes, to both men and women, but has recently stepped up its marketing to women.

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