Affordable Knee Replacement
JaipurKnee: a high-performance knee joint for
developing world amputees
Joshua Powers
Addressing the Problem
• Over 25 million people in the world today are
suffering from the loss of a limb
• Amputees looking to replace a missing limb
turn to modern prosthetics
• Today’s prosthetics are unaffordable, leaving
people around the world hopeless
Costs
•
•
•
•
•
Partial foot ($14,187)
Ankle disarticulation ($16,356)
Hip ($45,633)
Transpelvic disarticulation ($49,208)
Transtibial, or below the knee ($16,690)
• Knee joint ($45,563)
Most expensive and complex portion
of a prosthetic leg
http://healthcaresavvy.wbur.org/2013/04/the-cost-of-prosthetics/
Who can afford it?
• Out of the 25 million people in the world
suffering from the loss of a limb, only about
20% can afford the necessary prosthetics
• Amputees in third world countries do not have
the money or resources for modern
prosthetics
• Each year, disease and trauma in war torn
areas of the world leave thousands of new,
less fortunate amputees
Making affordable prosthetics…
• Today’s existing “affordable” prosthetics are
limiting
– Affordable leg prosthetics operate on a single-axis
hinge system
– On rough terrain, single-axis hinges tend to be
unstable and can even buckle at times
Most affordable knee prosthetics used in
the last ten years have been
unsuccessful
What’s Needed
• The ideal prosthetic knee joint:
– Lightweight
– Durable
– High range of mobility
– Affordable
– Simple
A Real Solution
• The JaipurKnee
• Designed in collaboration with
Stanford University and the
Jaipur Foot Organization
Reliable and Affordable
• Simple! 5 plastic pieces and 4 standard
fasteners
• Easily integrated; works with standard
prosthetic systems
• Cheap; $20 per unit
Specifics of the JaipurKnee
• Lightweight; 1.5 lbs
• Durable; oil-filled nylon polymer self
lubricates!
• 165 degrees of motion; bending/kneeling
• Works with standard prosthetic systems
• Bench top tested for 3-5 years of use
Impact
• 4,977 patients have been fit with ReMotion's
JaipurKnee
• 79% of these patients are still wearing their
prostheses
• 95% of patients report no failures in their
JaipurKnees
Engineering for the future
• The D-Rev team aims to provide products that
improve the health and well-being of people
living on an income of less than $4 dollars a
day
• Currently implementing products in India,
Haiti, Nepal, Ecuador, Uganda, Kenya,
Tanzania, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Botswana,
Bangladesh and Iraq.
Sources
• http://healthcaresavvy.wbur.org/2013/04/the-cost-ofprosthetics/
• The Journal of Rehabilitation Research and
Development <http://drev.org/projects/remotion/design.html>
• http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/medtech/7-medical-upgrades-for-developing-countries-2#slide2
• http://healthcaresavvy.wbur.org/2013/04/the-cost-ofprosthetics/
• Matthew Karam, MD. Iowa Orthopedic Journal.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2958286/
>