MT. ZION, Ill. (WAND) - A local orthopedic surgeon was the first doctor in the state of Illinois to implant a Bluetooth-enabled sensor technology in a patient's knee.
Dr. Jacob Sams at Decatur Orthopedic Center partnered with Decatur Memorial Hospital to implant a smart knee back in May.
"It's really something that will help is monitor the recovery initially in the first weeks and we will be able to see how the patient is doing," said Dr. Sams.
The smart knee implant, developed by Indiana-based Zimmer Biomet, measures range of motion in the knee, step count, walking speed and other gait metrics. Information collected through a chip in the implant is wirelessly delivered to a HIPPA-compliant cloud-based platform, which can be accessed by the patient and the surgeon.
"Kind-of think of it as a check engine light for your car. It is a really good thing to have where we can have connections and patients can live their lives with a sense of security," explained Dr. Sams. "They don't have to worry about how their knee is performing."
The data is used to help with follow-up care after knee replacement procedures.
"I'm able to monitor the patient's recovery and get data on meaningful rehabilitation measures that show how the patient is doing," said Sams. "In some patients, they are doing too much, and the data will show that. In other patients, the smart knee will let us know who needs to intensify their recovery protocols."
The technology is also used in Bluetooth-enabled pacemakers, hip replacements and spinal stimulators, as well as within devices that allow continuous glucose monitoring for patients with diabetes.
About 420 knee procedures are performed each year at Decatur Memorial Hospital.
"We are thrilled to work with surgeons such as Dr. Sams to bring cutting-edge technology to our orthopedic patients at Decatur Memorial Hospital," said Drew Early, president and CEO of Decatur Memorial Hospital.
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