TOKA For Surgeons

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common musculoskeletal disease in the world, affecting approximately 20% of the population. In the UK alone, 4.5 million people aged 40–65 suffer from radiographic knee arthritis but are not yet suitable for knee replacement.

Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) remains the most adopted surgical treatment particularly in elderly patients with advanced disease, however, the increasing demand for knee replacement and the large burden it places on healthcare systems is becoming unsustainable. Moreover, procedures that preserve the natural knee joint are an increasingly attractive option for patients.

TOKA is a disruptive technology which can relieve patients from pain and mitigate the societal impact of knee osteoarthritis. Designed to minimise costs within NHS-tariff, TOKA combines 3D Printing and medical imaging technologies for a truly personalised treatment benefitting patients and healthcare providers, while relieving the societal cost of knee osteoarthritis.

“For young and active people effected with knee osteoarthritis, HTO has been shown to be the best solution.”

Joint preserving treatments for knee osteoarthritis

Without the correction of the patients’ mechanical axes for the redistribution of the forces imposed on the knee by exercise, other treatments to address the symptoms of osteoarthritis will not be as effective. For example, the implant lifespan of a Total Knee Replacement can be reduced, forcing patients to lead a sedentary lifestyle, impacting their overall health and quality of life. The younger a patient has a Total Knee Replacement, the higher the risk of revision and complications.

Our approach is based on a well-established procedure: High Tibial Osteotomy, where the tibia is modified to redistribute load away from the medial compartment of the knee (where osteoarthritis often begins). This offers many advantages including alignment restoration, knee preservation and a return to an active lifestyle.

“TOKA is a precision engineered personalised HTO surgical solution, particularly designed for young patients suffering from radiographic knee arthritis but not yet suitable for Knee-Replacement.”

The TOKA Solution – The Perfect Fit

HTO is a craft surgery and must be performed by experienced surgeons meaning the options currently available are technically demanding and present the risk of complications – particularly those associated with not achieving the required correction angle.

With TOKA, each surgery is completely planned around the patient. This begins with the surgical instrumentation used in theatre. Compared to existing solutions, TOKA presents a tailor-made and precise personalised intervention and potentially a faster procedure and a faster recovery time.

A simple to use surgical guide based on the patient’s CT scan containing the exact information to reproduce the digitally planned surgery reducing the need for intra-operative radiology and measurements.

The TOKA system removes the need for large inventory trays by using a 3D-printed titanium cutting and drilling guide, precisely fitting patient’s bone anatomy. Uniquely, TOKA pioneered an integrated osteotomy opening mechanism – a system allowing precision bi-planar limb alignment without the need for lamina spreaders or measuring tools.

Testimonials

“High tibial osteotomy is a complex three-dimensional alignment puzzle which currently we are only able to try and solve in two dimensions. The current implants and techniques are a one size fits all solution with one sized large metal plate with instrumentation and relies entirely on the surgeon’s intra-operative technical ability. As such, the results can be variable, with a significantly longer rehab period, are associated with a high incidence of complications and often require metalwork removal at a later date.”