Health Sciences · Robert W. Jackson Arthroscopy
A metal artifact consisting of two tapered stems joined by a central hinged element. The two sides of the metal hinge are cushioned by a small, square silicone pad or bumper.
The stems have a matte texture whereas the hinge has a glossy finish. One of the stems is tilted slightly relative to the other. The stems have a matte texture whereas the hinge has a glossy finish.
Accession Number: 2023.JAC.272
Alternative Name: Hinged Knee Replacement
Chrome-Cobalt-Molybdenum Alloy, Silicone (“Silastic”)
Stamped onto one face of each stem, towards the tapered tip: “FRANCOBAL S”
Stamped near the hinge on both parts of the artifact: “H8431A”
Dimensions (cm): Height= 28.5; Width = 4.5; length – 5.
The total knee replacement was introduced to address a number of knee ailments, especially severe arthritis.
This fixed-hinge design represents an early effort to develop a suitable knee replacement.
This artifact is in good cosmetic condition, There are very light scratches and scuffs across its surface. There is a long vertical scratch on one face of one of the stems.
Associated Instruments:
Manufacturer: Benoist Girard & Co.
Date of Manufacture: c. 1970s – 1980s.
The Robert W. Jackson Arthroscopy Collection was acquired by the University of Toronto from Dr. Jackson’s family on November 12th, 2020.
Francois B. Mazas et al. “Guepar Total Knee Prosthesis.” Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, no. 94 (1973): 211–21.
J. LeNobel and F.P. Patterson. “Guepar Total Knee Prosthesis. Experience at the Vancouver General Hospital.” Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. British Volume 63, no. 2 (1981): 257–60.
J.-H. Aubriot, A. Deburge, J.-P. Genet, “GUEPAR hinge knee prosthesis.” Orthopaedics & Traumatology: Surgery & Research, Volume 100, Issue 1, (2014): 27-32.
Alan J. Hawk. “ArtiFacts: The GUEPAR Offset Hinge Knee.” Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research 476(4):p 692-693, April 2018.
The Guépar Total Knee Prosthesis was tested in the early 1970s and introduced by the Guépar group (Groupe pour l’utilisation et l’étude des prothèses articulaires ) based at Hôpital Cochin in Paris, France.
Follow-up studies (leNobel and Patterson 1981) revealed a number of problems, including the breakdown of the silicone bumper, which caused an inflammatory response, as well as a patellar subluxation attributed the angled (“valgus”) hinge.
The prosthesis was modified substantially over subsequent years to address these problems, though orthopedic surgery moved away from highly constrained fixed-hinged designs for knee prosthetics. (See especially Hawk 2018).
- Donated to UTSIC