'Smart Knee' could change future of knee replacements

SARASOTA, Fla. - Serving 21 years in the U.S. Army with the 101st Airborne Division, Jim Myers knew time would take a toll on his body. 

"We did plenty of road marches, 25 miles with heavy backpacks on. You would jump out of planes and jump out of helicopters. I have a lot of arthritis and that was obviously from the military," he said. 

During a hiking trip to Alaska, Myers got the signal it was time to get his knee checked out. 

"My knee just popped coming home, and I told my wife I needed to see a doctor," he said. 

Myers needed a knee replacement. 

Doctors suggested a ‘smart knee.’ 

"I sort of laughed and said when I program my TV or computer at home I ask my neighbor if I can borrow his 10-year-old, at home. So I said yeah, I don’t know about this, but I said I’ll give it a try," said Myers. 

Intercoastal Medical Group Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. John Thomas performed the surgery at HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital. 

"The implant is very small, 30 millimeters, and we are working on making it even smaller," said Thomas. 

The tiny device monitors Myers’ progress. 

"It only tracks your location. We only know how many steps, the speed of the steps and range of motion of the knee. There’s a few extra metrics that just have to do how the knee is moving," said Thomas. 

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An app lets Thomas and patients communicate with one another more frequently, while determining if a patient is on the right track. 

"This is making the recovery more reliable. It’s really letting patients know they’re doing a good job. Whether they’re falling into the same recovery curve as their peers, and it’s helping us identify patients who are having a hard time and intervene and fix that problem before it becomes a big issue," said Thomas. 

Five weeks after surgery, Myers has increased his activity and is looking forward to a pain-free future. 

"I already know in my mind, I’ll be able to walk 3 miles, no issues. Ride my bike for 10-15-20 and then maybe take a swim for an hour. I’m looking forward to my new life with my new knee," he said.