Skip to Main Content

Last month, surgeons implanted the first of a new, souped-up knee implant, developed by Zimmer Biomet as a way to passively collect data about recovery after one of medicine’s priciest and most common procedures.

Zimmer Biomet, which pulls in $7 billion a year selling implants and other musculoskeletal care products and services, is unsurprisingly bullish on the new device, called Persona IQ, which gives the century-old company the sheen of a Silicon Valley tech innovator. The implant — cleared by the Food and Drug Administration in August for use in a small subset of knee replacements — contains sensors, a wireless transmitter, and a pacemaker-like battery that could paint a far clearer picture of the recovery process and problems that arise. The company has called it “groundbreaking” and claims it will “help write the future of orthopedic technology.”

advertisement

But the surgeons who will need to embrace the implant caution that while the device has potential, insights are likely far off — if the data turns out to be useful at all.

Get unlimited access to award-winning journalism and exclusive events.

Subscribe

STAT encourages you to share your voice. We welcome your commentary, criticism, and expertise on our subscriber-only platform, STAT+ Connect

To submit a correction request, please visit our Contact Us page.