KEM Hospital in Parel Performs Mumbai's First Cementless Knee Replacement

Doctors at KEM Hospital in Parel have performed Mumbai’s first cementless knee replacement surgery on a 70-year-old resident of Goregaon.

The patient, Prakash Waigankar, underwent the left total knee replacement on August 24. Before approaching the hospital, Waigankar had consulted multiple doctors after learning he required a total knee replacement. While some physicians recommended proceeding with surgery, others advised him to wait.

Waigankar subsequently sought care at KEM Hospital, an institution he had known since childhood. Doctors there advised surgery and offered him a newer alternative: a cementless knee implant, which they stated was being performed for the first time in Mumbai.

The operation was conducted using a customised implant. Following the surgery, Waigankar reported marked improvement in his condition, stating that his left knee had previously been bent but was now straight, and that his pain had significantly decreased.

Unlike conventional knee replacement procedures that use bone cement to anchor the artificial joint, cementless implants feature a porous surface. This structure allows the patient’s own bone to grow directly into the implant, securing it naturally over time.

Prof Dr S Mohanty of KEM Hospital's orthopaedic department, who performed the operation, explained that bone cement can eventually loosen. Dr Mohanty noted that the cementless implant provides a firmer fixation through bone ingrowth, adding that the technique could become increasingly relevant as younger and more active patients undergo knee replacement surgeries.