Written by Laura Dyrda
Here are 10 knee injuries and surgeries that made an impact on history.
If you would like to submit an historic knee surgery, contact Laura Dyrda at ldyrda@beckershealthcare.com.
The first total condylar knee replacement. Hospital for Special Surgery’s John N. Insall, MD, Chitranjan Ranawat, MD, and Allan E. Inglis, MD, along with biomechanical engineer Peter Walker, PhD, developed the modern knee replacement and implanted it in the first patient in 1974. The first total knee replacement was performed in 1968, but the implant wasn’t reliable and the HSS team aimed to create a better option for patients with knee arthritis than pain medication. Their implant was designed to recreate how real knees work and became a game-changer in the field. It was the first implant to address all anatomically shaped parts in the knee. With this implant as the foundation, surgeons and developers have advanced the field immensely. Now knee replacements are standard-of-care procedures and new patient-specific technology is built on the anatomical principles the HSS surgeons studied.
Mickey Mantle’s first knee surgery in 1951. We consider Mickey Mantle a baseball legend today, but in 1951 he was a New York Yankees rookie that spent part of the season in the team’s farm system and was trying to prove himself in his first World Series when an injury during game two forced him to watch the rest of the series from the sideline. He was attempting to catch a ball when his cleat spike hit a rubber drain or sprinkler and caused the first knee injury of his career. Mr. Mantle subsequently underwent knee surgery — and several surgeries throughout his career — yet still managed to become one of the most well-regarded baseball players in history. However, according to a New York Times article, the injury and surgeries prevented him from become one of the greatest statistical performers in history.
