Dr Kirk Kindsfater Presents Knee Replacement Surgery Research at International Physician Meeting

For Immediate Release: October 31, 2011

Contact: Armi Hall, (970) 419-7140, ahall@orthohealth.com

Dr. Kirk Kindsfater Presents Knee Replacement Surgery
Research Results at International Physician Meeting

At a recent international meeting of orthopaedic surgeons, Dr. Kirk Kindsfater of the Orthopaedic & Spine Center of the Rockies presented a paper with the results of his research into knee replacement surgery.

The International Society for Technology in Arthroplasty held its 24th Annual Congress in Bruges, Belgium, on Sept. 20-23, and accepted Dr. KindsfaterМ_s study for a presentation during the proceedings.

Arthroplasty is the medical term for an operation on an arthritic or injured joint, such as the knee, in which the surgeon replaces or remodels the jointМ_s surface. In a total knee replacement, the surgeon typically inserts three metal or plastic implants to replace damaged bone surfaces of the kneecap and the thigh and lower leg bones.

The societyМ_s annual meeting attracts about 500 orthopaedic surgeons from around the world, and features presentations by noted physicians and bioengineers.

Dr. Kindsfater also presented the results of research studies during talks at this annual meeting in 2009 in Hawaii and in 2010 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

МВI enjoy the information exchange with foreign physicians,МЁ Dr. Kindsfater said. МВThey face many different challenges than surgeons in the U.S. do, so their solutions are different. Learning how doctors in other parts of the world operate gives me different ideas that I could use to help my patients.МЁ

His talk at the Congress this September presented the results of his research into a technique he has developed that has the potential for improving knee replacement surgery. For various reasons, some patients have a follow-up operation several years after their original total knee surgery. These operations are referred to as МВrevisions.МЁ Dr. Kindsfater has used a small, triangular-shaped, titanium alloy sleeve that improves bone growth around the implants in these revision surgeries.

Dr. Kindsfater performs surgery to help more than 1,000 people a year who come to him for total joint replacement. He said he performs about 800 knee replacements a year. In his other specialty, total hip replacement, Dr. Kindsfater performs around 400 surgeries annually.

Of those operations, about 100 to 150 are for patients who need a revision surgery for their knees or hips, he said.

МВThe goal with joint replacements is to give patients significant pain relief and the freedom to resume activities that their damaged joint was preventing them from doing and enjoying,МЁ he remarked.

Dr. Kindsfater performs hip and knee replacements in the operating rooms at the Orthopaedic & Spine CenterМ_s facility in Fort Collins, or at Poudre Valley Hospital. Typically, hospital surgeries are done for Medicare patients and at OCRМ_s surgery center for younger individuals. Many people come to him for surgery from the Fort Collins-Loveland area, but also from places ranging from California to New York to Montana.

He has routinely kept research information on hip and knee replacement patients since 1998, tracking how the surgeries and implants have worked. Patients come to OCR for follow-up appointments with Dr. Kindsfater and his staff at various time intervals after their operation. МВItМ_s extra time for patients and extra effort for us, but itМ_s worth it,МЁ he remarked. МВPatients benefit because we can make sure they are doing well. There can be subtle or minor changes in their implants that may need to be monitored.МЁ

His research database also allows him to study different techniques and technologies, and share the information with other doctors. He has given educational talks at orthopaedic forums in Mexico City and Rome in recent years, for example.

Medical research typically finds that physicians who perform a large number of surgeries provide a benefit to patients because the surgeons have developed highly proficient skills and efficient systems of care.

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The Orthopaedic & Spine Center of the Rockies has 24 physicians who provide patients with specialized orthopaedic, spine, sports medicine, and podiatry care. The practice, founded in 1969, has offices in Fort Collins and Loveland, CO. OCR has surgery center partnerships with Poudre Valley Health System and Banner Health System.

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