No one argues the point that men and women are different. But how deep do the differences go? For instance, are women's knees really that different than men's?

We know for sure that women's knees are more vulnerable in certain ways.

Females involved in sports and certain leisure activities (like skiing) are five to seven times more likely to tear their ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), a major stabilizing ligament in the knee.  

This is a very serious injury that requires major surgery, with a relatively long recovery, and potential lifetime consequences in terms of knee health and future activities.

In terms of the ACL injuries, especially in females, there is some promising research showing a significant reduction in ACL tears, if certain preventive conditioning and agility programs are adopted. This is good news and underscores the role of prevention in the field of sports medicine.

Women also have a higher incidence of knee osteoarthritis and are more likely to undergo knee replacement surgery.

Although knee replacement surgery is, relatively speaking, a very successful procedure for both men and women, women's overall results are not quite as good as their male counterparts.  We are not exactly sure why.

Also, interestingly, the anatomy of the female knee is actually different than that of the male knee. The alignment is different, in part because of the wider female pelvis creating different angles at the knee. Also, certain measurements of the bones that make up the knee (especially distal femur and patella) are different.

All of this has led to the development of a gender-specific, female knee replacement. This new prosthesis, developed by Zimmer, has sparked tremendous debate in the orthopedic surgery community - and to date, there are no final answers.

Is a female-specific knee replacement really needed? Or is it more marketing than science? Research is under way, and I applaud any innovation that might improve the results of knee replacement surgery especially from the patient's standpoint.

Bottom line for females in need of a new knee: it is far more important that you choose an experienced joint replacement surgeon with a good reputation, who does a high volume (50 per year minimum) of knee replacements, than running to the one advertising the "new new thing" designed with you in mind.

Have you had a knee replacement? Or are you considering one?  Please share your experience and thoughts on this matter.