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Frequently Asked Questions

This page provides a brief overview of knee replacement. It can help you make a list of questions to ask your doctor, but it is not meant to provide complete information. Check with your doctor’s office about more comprehensive resources and patient education materials.

The Zimmer^® Gender Solutions™

Knee difference

Are women’s and men’s knees really that different?
How does the Zimmer Gender Solutions Knee accommodate the differences between women and men?
What scientific data were used to determine these differences?
How do the differences between women and men affect total knee replacement? Can’t surgeons just make adjustments in surgery so traditional knee implants fit each patient?

Are women’s and men’s knees really that different?

Women and men are different in many respects, including their knees. Women’s knees are shaped differently than men’s: the bone in the front of the knee tends to be less prominent; the kneecap moves over the thighbone at a different angle; and the shape of the knee is narrower.

The Zimmer Gender Solutions Knee addresses these three distinct research-documented, shape-related differences typical of a woman’s knee and is the first and only knee replacement shaped to fit a woman’s anatomy.

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How does the Zimmer Gender Solutions Knee accommodate the differences between women and men?

The Zimmer Gender Solutions Knee is based on more than 30 years of Zimmer’s success in total knee replacement implants and addresses three distinct research-documented, shape-related differences typical of a woman’s knee: 

1. Thinner profile: The bone in the front of a woman’s knee is typically less prominent than in a man’s. Traditional implants have a thickness in front that may end up feeling “bulky,” which may result in pain and a decrease in range of motion. The Zimmer Gender Solutions Knee has a thinner profile to accommodate this anatomical difference between women and men. Graphical view
2. More natural movement: The angle between the hip and the knee affects how the kneecap moves over the thighbone when the knee is in motion. Women have a distinct shape, which frequently results in a different angle between the hip and the knee when compared to men. The Zimmer Gender Solutions Knee accounts for this difference, allowing for more natural movement. Graphical view
3. Contoured shape: The Zimmer Gender Solutions Knee has a contoured shape to more closely match the narrower anatomy of a woman’s knee. This contouring provides for a more precise fit and may prevent the implant from overhanging the bone and potentially pressing on or damaging surrounding ligaments and tendons. Graphical view

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What scientific data were used to determine these differences?

Numerous studies have shown that women’s knees significantly differ in shape from men’s knees, but the measurement methods used in the past were imprecise and variable. When designing the Zimmer Gender Solutions Knee, Zimmer turned to pioneering science that uses three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) imaging to create a sophisticated and highly detailed map of the knee, called a bone atlas. Data from more than 800 knees and kneecaps confirmed that the shape of women’s knees typically falls into different ranges than men’s and these differences are statistically significant.

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How do the differences between women and men affect total knee replacement? Can’t surgeons just make adjustments in surgery so traditional knee implants fit each patient?

Traditional knee replacements are sized and shaped to fit an average of men’s and women’s knees. As more women had knee replacement surgery, it became apparent that a new implant was needed. Traditional knee replacements, while highly successful in alleviating pain, may not feel or move like a woman’s natural knee. When placing traditional implants, some surgeons accommodate the shape differences in women’s knees by removing more bone or repositioning the implant during surgery, but their ability to make the implant precisely conform to the patient is limited. The Zimmer Gender Solutions Knee was created so surgeons can more closely fit the implant to the patient, rather than fitting the patient to the implant.

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