David Flanigan, MD, performed one of the first cases using Moximed's Calypso Knee System to relieve knee pain caused by osteoarthritis, KnoxPages.com reports.
Here are four things to know:
1. Dr. Flanigan implanted the system in a retired firefighter as part of a clinical trial examining the device's ability to extend knee joints' life while enabling patients to remain active without knee pain.
2. "It works like a shock absorber to take pressure off the inside of the knee while creating a cushion similar to what cartilage provides in a healthy joint," Dr. Flanigan, told KnoxPages.com. "The hope is that it increases joint functionality, reduces pain and delays a total knee arthroplasty for years or even decades."
3. The system is designed to provide support outside of the knee joint without altering the knee's anatomy or removing any tissue.
4. Dr. Flanigan is a sports medicine surgeon at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.