Now offering the world's first and only smart knee implant

Riverside, Calif. – Riverside Community Hospital, a part of HCA Healthcare, is now offering the world’s first and only smart knee implant for total knee replacement surgery. This implantable sensor technology measures range of motion, step count, walking speed and other gait metrics. Riverside Community Hospital is the only hospital in the region using this advanced technology.

“We’re excited to bring the world’s first smart knee implant to the Inland Empire and surrounding areas,” said Dr. Sari Nabulsi, chief medical officer, Riverside Community Hospital. “This innovation will provide surgeons access to objective kinematic data directly from the implant post-surgery.”

The implantable sensor technology records and wirelessly transmits a wide range of gait data from the knee implant to a patient’s personal base station at home. The data is then securely delivered to a HIPAA compliant cloud-based platform and can be accessed by the patient and their surgeon. Surgeons and their care teams can use this data as an adjunct to other physiological parameter measurement tools during the course of patient monitoring and treatment post-surgery.

The first smart knee implant was performed at Riverside Community Hospital on Tuesday, September 5 by Dr. Akash Shah, orthopedic surgeon. “My highest priority is for patients to feel comfortable and trust me to tailor a treatment plan based on their needs,” said Dr. Shah. “I strive to ensure my patients understand exactly what is going on with their bodies so they are an active part of their treatment journey. I believe that using the smart knee implant will give my patients even more individualized attention to achieve the best results.”