On average, there are more than 600,000 knee replacements performed annually in the United States. Advances in technology have helped improve patient outcomes and have resulted in quicker, less painful recoveries. More recently, a new technology called iovera has showed promising outcomes by decreasing pain levels experienced post operatively for patients undergoing knee replacement.
The iovera° treatment is an innovative approach to blocking pain, as part of total knee replacement standard of care. This treatment uses the body’s natural response to cold to immediately relieve pain without the use of drugs or other systemic therapies. The treatment is performed prior to total knee replacement and reduces pain in the critical weeks following surgery.
This treatment is based upon the well-established science of cryotherapy. Using the power of cold, the system precisely cools peripheral nerve tissue to immediately block the nerve from sending pain signals. It is specifically designed to create a temporary, reversible nerve block through a process called Wallerian degeneration that is followed by predictable reinnervation or re-growth.
We will continue to see treatments such as iovera paving the way for improving total knee replacements.
