The Persona IQ® knee implant is one of the most exciting new technologies to enter the knee replacement market. It is a smart knee implant that allows Dr. Niesen and his team to monitor patients’ progress in recovery in ways that were previously not possible, including measuring key recovery metrics. This allows the team to intervene sooner than with traditional knee replacement if there are any issues in the recovery process.
While the idea of a “smart” implant may sound a bit novel, smart technology has made our lives easier in many other ways, from fitness trackers to virtual assistants and even smart home appliances. If we can harness that technology to help with the recovery process for a major operation like knee replacement, why not use it?
Since Persona IQ® is the first of its kind, you probably have several questions about how it works and its benefits. You can learn more below, and we welcome you to reach out to Dr. Niesen's office at (608) 768-3900 or request an appointment if you’d like to schedule a consultation.
What is the Persona IQ®?
The Persona IQ® by Zimmer Biomet is the first and only smart knee implant to be granted FDA approval for total knee replacement. It was developed in partnership with Canary Medical, a company that has developed other smart implantable devices aimed at improving patient monitoring and outcomes.
The implant has sensors that measure key metrics in knee replacement recovery, including range of motion in the knee, step count, walking speed, and other gait metrics. Once Dr. Niesen has placed the implant in the knee, he and his team will be able to monitor the data remotely, so patients are able to get more frequent and accurate check-ins on their progress beyond post-operative appointments. Patients will also have access to their own data, so that they can check in on their progress as well.
How does the Persona IQ® work?
The Persona IQ® uses a pacemaker battery, the safest and most tested battery for use inside the body. The battery lasts for approximately 20 years, so there’s no need to “charge” your new knee once it’s been implanted.
Once implanted, the knee will record and wirelessly transmit data to a base station in the patient’s home. That data is then securely delivered to a HIPAA compliant cloud-based platform. Persona IQ® will also work with mymobility®, Zimmer Biomet’s remote care management platform that tracks pre- and post-operative mobility metrics.
What are the benefits of Persona IQ®?
With knee replacement surgery, it is very important that patients stick to recovery protocols to have the best possible outcomes. Sometimes, patients might not be moving enough or may actually be overdoing it. Often, when patients are feeling good after a knee replacement, they may inadvertently be more active than they should be for their recovery stage. While it may feel like you are doing great by hitting targets ahead of schedule, for a knee replacement, getting ahead of yourself can be detrimental to long-term results.
While RAMC's ortho team do everything they can to support patients in recovery and empower them with the right information, the time between regular post-op checkups don’t allow for much leeway to course-correct if the patient’s recovery is behind or ahead of schedule. It can also just be difficult for a patient to tell if they’re doing too much or too little as they try to get back to normal life. Persona IQ® helps you and Dr. Niesen stay in touch with your progress between appointments so that our team can help you adjust course if needed and help you hit that “just right” level of activity.
If you would like more information on the Persona IQ visit the patient information section of the Zimmer Biomet web page.
Reach out to RAMC Orthopedics (608) 768-3900, or call the Orthopedics Clinic Nurse Navigator, Kimberly Hare, RN, for more information.
Having chronic knee pain shouldn't mean giving up the things you love. Dr. Niesen has been specially trained to perform Rosa Robotic Assisted Knee replacement. This is an additional tool used in surgery for Dr. Niesen to ensure a successful and precise surgical procedure for your unique anatomy and knee replacement. Talk with Dr. Niesen to learn more about the benefits of robotic-assisted knee replacement surgery. 
