Severe knee pain from osteoarthritis is a common problem, particularly for Baby Boomers with active lifestyles. Even simple activities such as walking and climbing stairs can become extremely painful. To relieve that terrible pain, many people undergo total knee replacement.

Boulder Community is the first hospital in Colorado to offer a new alternative to total knee replacement – the Journey Deuce Knee System.

Journey Deuce offers partial knee-resurfacing that preserves healthy bone and ligaments sacrificed in traditional total knee replacement. This new option:

• provides more natural feeling and stability in the knee
• causes less post-operative pain
• requires less physical therapy
• has a shorter recovery period

With the Journey Deuce Knee, you’ll be up and around doing your everyday activities much sooner.

Traditional total knee replacement surgery replaces the ends of the thigh bone (femur), shin bone (tibia) and knee cap (patella). However, in 70 percent of patients, osteoarthrtis attacks only the knee cap and inner part of the knee (medial compartment). Journey Deuce resurfaces just these diseased areas -- the kneecap and medial compartments -- and leaves healthy bone and important ligaments intact.

Most importantly, Journey Deuce uses an implant that preserves the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). These ligaments provide stability during physical activities such as walking and climbing stairs. With Journey Deuce, the ACL and PCL remain intact, creating a more natural and stable feeling to the knee.

1. Who is a candidate for the Journey Deuce resurfacing procedure?

The Journey Deuce implant provides a new treatment option specifically designed for the reported 70 percent of patients whose osteoarthritis only afflicts two of the three compartments of the knee. Good candidates for a Journey Deuce procedure should have:

• Degeneration in only the medial and patellofemoral knee compartments, NOT the lateral (outside) compartment
• Healthy, functional anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL).

2. What is the key difference between the Journey Deuce procedure and a traditional total knee replacement?

The major difference is that the Journey Deuce Knee procedure removes less bone and ligament than traditional total knee replacement. Surgeons do not have to sacrifice the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). These ligaments provide natural stability during physical activities such as walking and climbing stairs. Having your ACL and PCL intact gives the Journey Deuce knee a more natural and stable feeling.

3. How will I benefit from this procedure?

This procedure can be life-changing. Since half the healthy bone and all of the natural ligaments remain intact, patients end up with a natural feeling knee and experience a faster return to physical activity. Other important benefits include a smaller incision with less post-operative pain, and a shorter stint of physical therapy after surgery.

4. Can I resume my normal activities?

Most patients can resume normal activities once they have regained adequate strength and flexibility. However, any activity that results in repetitive joint trauma such as jumping or twisting should be avoided for most patients. Patients who have recovered from this procedure have returned to such activities as golf, doubles tennis, dancing, swimming or gardening.

5. Why choose Boulder Community Hospital?

BCH was the first hospital in Colorado to perform this innovative procedure. We also can offer premier follow-up physical therapy through both the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine and the hospital’s Mapleton Center for Neurologic and Orthopedic Rehabilitation.

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