Knee Pain
Signature™ Personalized Patient Care

You are unique and so is your individual anatomy. That’s why Biomet now offers Signature™ Personalized Patient Care, which utilizes MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) technology to create personalized positioning guides for total knee replacement. It is important to note that your surgeon will still be using the implants he or she feels are best for you.

The Signature™ System

The Signature™ system utilizes custom femoral and tibial positioning guides developed from your MRI. The MRI is used to create a three-dimensional joint reconstruction, which enables the surgeon to preoperatively plan your knee replacement. In the past, surgeon planning has typically been based off of two-dimensional X-rays.

When used in conjunction with the Signature™ system, the Vanguard™ Complete Knee System from Biomet allows surgeons to provide more of a custom fit specifically for you, regardless of race, size, or gender. The Vanguard™ knee offers twice the femoral size options of other knee systems, which allows for 90 different size combinations.

Before Surgery

Your preoperative experience will be like that of most total knee patients except that an MRI of your affected leg will be required. The advantage of using MRI is that, unlike an X-ray, it creates a detailed three-dimensional image of your unique anatomy that enables the surgeon to preoperatively plan your knee replacement. Typically, surgeons use X-rays to size components before surgery.

During the knee replacement procedure an assortment of instruments are used to verify component sizing and establish proper positioning and alignment. With the MRI and Signature™ personalized positioning guides, surgeons have access to a greater level of detail and precision for implant position and alignment before the procedure. This allows for personalized implant positioning and may help enhance surgical efficiency.

You can expect the MRI scan to take approximately 20 minutes. The scan will only be performed on your hip, knee and ankle, so your head will remain outside of the machine. The MRI is used for preoperative planning by your surgeon and for the design and manufacture of the Signature™ personalized positioning guides that will be used during your knee replacement.

During Surgery

The surgical procedure using the Signature™ personalized positioning guides is similar to traditional total knee replacement with a few exceptions. During traditional total knee surgery, multiple instruments are used to position the guides for removing damaged bone and cartilage. Traditional total knee replacement sometimes uses instruments placed inside the femur (thighbone) and/or tibia (shinbone) to assist with implant alignment and positioning.

Signature™ personalized positioning guides are placed directly onto your femur and tibia, and therefore do not require instrumentation of the bone canal, allowing for a potentially less invasive procedure. The Signature™ personalized positioning guides enable the surgeon to position a reduced number of instruments during surgery to carry out the preoperative plan.

If you have questions regarding Signature™ Personalized Patient Care, please speak with an orthopedic surgeon. Only an orthopedic surgeon can determine what treatment is appropriate. Individual results of total joint replacement may vary. The life of any implant will depend on your weight, age, activity level, and other factors. Click here for patient risk information.