Joint Distraction Using An Intended Device For Knee Osteoarthritis: A Prospective Two-Year Follow-Up

Purpose: Knee distraction (KD) treatment for young (<65) patients with end-stage knee osteoarthritis (OA) has previously been shown to successfully postpone a knee arthroplasty for years by reducing pain, improving function, and inducing joint tissue repair. During KD treatment, the tibia and femur are separated ∼5 mm for ∼6 weeks using an external fixation device. The studies performed thus far have used proof-of-concept medical devices intended for other applications than KD. Recently, the first device specifically designed and intended for KD treatment has been developed. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of this intended device.