In recent weeks, DePuy Synthes has shared research related to survivorship and recovery with use of their ATTUNE Knee System. The separate data sets show results that are at least comparable to other solutions available on the market.
The first announcement highlighted research from National Joint Registry for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man. Across 4,463 procedures, the ATTUNE had an estimated cumulative percent revision of 1.39 percent at 3 years, which translates to a 98.61 percent survivorship rate. The overall class of Cemented Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) stands at an estimated cumulative percent revision of 1.50 percent.
A similar study drawn from data in the 2016 Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry offers reinforcement. Tracking 4,831 Attune Knees at the one-year mark, the research found a cumulative percent revision of 0.5 percent for the ATTUNE Cruciate Retaining Knee and 0.4 percent for the ATTUNE Posterior Stabilized Knee. That’s against an estimated cumulative percent revision of 1.0 percent for the general class of TKA.

(Image credit: DePuy Synthes)
According to Scott Zellner, the senior director of U.S. joint reconstruction marketing at DePuy Synthes, the survivorship numbers are important, but there’s more to the picture.
“It was designed for survivorship, so it is designed so that our patients can enjoy the knee for many, many years,” Zellner says. “But it was also designed for patient satisfaction and recovery.”
As for that goal, DePuy Synthes calls attention to equally promising numbers. A review of a database comprised of information drawn from 38 U.S. hospitals found that patients who received the ATTUNE were 39 percent less likely to be discharged to a skilled nursing facility than those who underwent the procedure with a similar but competing total knee replacement system.
“Patients are less likely to need to go to a skilled nursing facility, which means that more patients can go home earlier,” notes Zellner. “And that’s an exciting development not only for patients because they’re going to be happier, but in the world of bundled payments or in the world of ambulatory surgery centers it’s an exciting development for physicians because now they’ve got products that can ensure their success.”