13 November 2008
Times News Network
Pune, India
K H SanchetiAimed at bringing knee replacement surgery within the reach of the common man suffering from arthritis, the lowcost knee implant is the outcome of five years of extensive research held at the Sancheti Institute of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation in Pune. It may be recalled that President Pratibha Patil had dedicated the implant to the country in November 2007.
“We had applied for the patent two years ago for India and other countries. More than 1,000 patients have benefited from this implant so far,” said senior orthopaedic surgeon K H Sancheti while interacting with the media on Wednesday. The implant is suitable in sizes and functions for the Indian population, he added.
Orthopaedic surgeon Parag Sancheti said, “Out of the 36,000 orthopaedic surgeons in India, K H Sancheti is the first and only one to design a knee implant and also receive a patent for it.”
Around 65,000 Indians need knee replacements every year. However, only 15,000 to 18,000 can afford and therefore avail the surgery, since the cost of imported implant is very high and does not meet the needs of senior citizens in the country, said Parag Sancheti.
Saying that patenting of the implant has established a benchmark in designing knee prosthesis, Ashish Babhulkar, consultant shoulder and joint replacement surgeon, told TOI that indigenous development of the implant would be a boon for the middle class and lower middle class patients at large.
Manufactured at the Sancheti Institute of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, the material used in the making of the Indus knee ensures its long life and minimum wear–and–tear. Moreover, it enables patients to sit crosslegged for traditional functions like ‘pooja’ as also sit on the floor to eat, as is the practice in rural India, said K H Sancheti.
The project has been approved by the department of science and technology, Government of India.
Disclaimer: The news story on this page is the copyright of the cited publication. This has been reproduced here for visitors to review, comment on and discuss. This is in keeping with the principle of ‘fair dealing’ or ‘fair use’. Visitors may click on the publication name, in the news story, to visit the original article as it appears on the publication’s website.
