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Knee Arthroplasty
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In a total knee arthroplasty, some amount of trauma to the soft tissue surrounding the joint is inevitable. That's why it's crucial to find ways to minimize tissue trauma so your patient can heal from knee surgery faster and return to normal function.
HARMONIC SYNERGY® Blades are a proven solution for managing soft tissue while minimizing trauma in a variety of orthopedic surgical procedures, including knee replacement surgery. After the incision is made (usually by a steel scalpel), a HARMONIC® Device can be used to cut and coagulate tissue to gain access to the joint. Because it uses ultrasonic energy, not electricity, it operates at a lower temperature so there is reduced desiccation of the tissue and minimal thermal spread.* And because it coagulates as it cuts, it reduces bleeding.† You get the joint access you need, with reduced damage to the surrounding soft tissue.
* In a comparative tissue cutting study using chicken breast, the HARMONIC® Combination Hook Blade (HK105) cut at a lower tissue temperature (average temperature of 128 F or 53.3 C) compared with the monopolar electrosurgery pencil (average temperature of 230 F or 110 C). The difference was significant (p < .001).1
† In a vessel sealing comparison, the HARMONIC Combination Hook Blade (HK105) sealed more 1-2 mm vessels than electrosurgery. Study conducted in porcine mesentery. In a pre-clinical study, porcine mesentery was used to compare the number of 1-2 mm vessels coagulated while cutting. The HARMONIC Combination Hook Blade ("HK105", power level = 5) was compared to steel scalpel and monopolar electrosurgery (power level = 40W blend 1). The steel scalpel sealed zero of 20 vessels (0%), electrosurgery sealed 3 of 70 vessels (4.3%), and HARMONIC® HK105 sealed 64 out of 68 vessels (94.1%). Statistical analysis indicated that HARMONIC® HK105 sealed significantly more vessels while cutting than either the steel scalpel or electrosurgery (p < .001).1
When it comes to precision, soft tissue management and multi-functionality, no other surgical instruments can compare to HARMONIC® Blades for orthopedic knee replacement procedures to access the joint space.
The HARMONIC® Technology works by converting electric energy into the blade's longitudinal motion, which vibrates at 55,500 Hz.
- When the blade is applied to soft tissue, it causes cellular friction.
- This intracellular heat causes proteins to reshape and hydrogen bonds to break down, for a clean, efficient cut.
- The amino acids reform into a sticky coagulum that reliably seals small vessels – and it does it at a temperature well below 100 degrees Celsius.*
This yields a number of benefits:
- It causes less acute inflammation. Acute inflammation has been linked to increased perceptions of pain.†
- No electricity passes to or through your patient.
- The lower temperature of the mechanical energy reduces lateral thermal spread and desiccation of the soft tissue.*
- Trauma is reduced because energy is applied parallel to the applied force.1
- Blood loss is reduced because a HARMONIC Device coagulates as it cuts – up to 20x the vessel sealing of electrocautery.‡
* In a comparative tissue cutting study using chicken breast, the HARMONIC® Combination Hooked Blade (HK105) cut at a lower tissue temperature (average temperature of 128 F or 53.3 C) compared with the monopolar electrosurgery pencil (average temperature of 230 F or 110 C). The difference was significant (p < .001).1
† In a pre-clinical study, necropsy and histological evaluations indicated a significant reduction in acute inflammation for skeletal muscle wounds created by the HARMONIC Blade vs. monopolar electrosurgery at 3, 7, and 21 days post-op (p value = 0.011 for all post-operative periods). Per NIH, the definition of inflammation is "A response of redness, swelling, pain and a feeling of heat in certain areas that is meant to protect tissues affected by injury or disease." (http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/glossary=inflammation)
‡ In a vessel sealing comparison, the HARMONIC Combination Hook Blade (HK105) sealed more 1-2 mm vessels than electrosurgery. Study conducted in porcine mesentery. In a pre-clinical study, porcine mesentery was used to compare the number of 1-2 mm vessels coagulated while cutting. The HARMONIC Combination Hook Blade ("HK105", power level = 5) was compared to steel scalpel and monopolar electrosurgery (power level = 40W blend 1). The steel scalpel sealed zero of 20 vessels (0%), electrosurgery sealed 3 of 70 vessels (4.3%), and HARMONIC® HK105 sealed 64 out of 68 vessels (94.1%). Statistical analysis indicated that HARMONIC® HK105 sealed significantly more vessels while cutting than either the steel scalpel or electrosurgery (p < .001).1
