MISHA Knee System
A minimally invasive implantable shock absorber for early-stage knee arthritis. Dr. Matarazzo was the first surgeon in Florida to implant one.
What is the MISHA knee implant?
It sits outside the joint and takes load off it. The MISHA™ system is a small shock absorber implanted along the inner side of the knee, which absorbs some of the force that would otherwise pass through the worn medial compartment every time you take a step. Nothing is removed. No bone is cut, no cartilage is taken, and the joint itself is left alone — which is the whole difference between this and a replacement.
It exists for a specific gap: the patient whose inner knee hurts too much to ignore, who has already worked through therapy, injections, medication and bracing, and who is not ready — or not old enough — for a joint replacement. It goes in through a small incision, recovery is quicker than a replacement, and crucially it changes nothing about what you can have done later. If you need a replacement in ten years, that option is still fully open.
Who is it for?
Medial Knee Osteoarthritis
Arthritis confined to the inner compartment of the knee.
Chronic Inner Knee Pain with Activity
Inner-knee pain that builds the longer you are on your feet.
Cartilage Breakdown on the Medial Joint Surface
Cartilage on the inner surface worn thin, so the joint grinds.
Knee Pain After Previous Meniscus Surgery
A knee that has hurt since a meniscectomy took away its cushioning.
Varus (Inward) Knee Alignment Overload
Bow-legged alignment driving extra load through the inner side.
Activity-Limiting Knee Stiffness or Swelling
Stiffness and swelling that have started limiting what you do.
Unresolved Knee Pain After Injections or Therapy
Pain that injections and therapy have not meaningfully touched.
Patients Seeking to Stay Active Without Joint Replacement
Wanting to stay active, and to keep your own joint while doing it.
Why consider it
- Takes load off the worn inner compartment
- Eases the pain that shows up when you move
- Your own bone and cartilage stay where they are
- A small incision, and a faster recovery than a replacement
- Back to ordinary activity sooner than replacement allows
- Nothing is closed off — a replacement remains fully available later
- Built for people who intend to stay active
- May slow how fast the arthritis progresses
- Rehabilitation aimed at mechanics and stability, not just healing
- Walking, stairs and standing become comfortable again
See how MISHA fits alongside injections, partial and total replacement on the knee arthritis page.
Come in, get a straight answer about what is wrong, and leave knowing what happens next.
FAQ
Common Patient Questions
A replacement resurfaces the joint; MISHA leaves it untouched and unloads it from outside. No bone is cut and no cartilage is removed.
Someone with inner-compartment arthritis at an early to moderate stage, still active, and not ready for a replacement.
Walking starts the same day. Exercise comes back in stages, led by the rehabilitation plan.
It can. Taking load off the worn compartment may slow the wear, and it leaves a replacement fully available whenever you do need one.
Once it has healed in, no. Patients generally stop being aware of it and move normally.
Pain relief and better movement, through a small incision, without giving up any of your own joint or closing off a replacement later.
It needs an assessment — the arthritis has to be in the inner compartment and at the right stage. Call 561-202-8886 or request an appointment online and we will tell you honestly whether you are a candidate.
Related
You may also be interested in
Total Knee Replacement
Total Knee Replacement →MAKO Robotic Knee Replacement
MAKO Robotic Knee Replacement →Total Shoulder Replacement
Total Shoulder Replacement →Where You’d Be Seen
The MISHA Knee System in Port St. Lucie & Palm Beach Gardens
This is offered at both locations — Port St. Lucie (1100 SW St. Lucie West Blvd., Ste. 105) and Palm Beach Gardens (11380 Prosperity Farms Rd, Ste 204). Patients travel in from Stuart, Jensen Beach, Fort Pierce, Jupiter, North Palm Beach and West Palm Beach — see every area we serve, or call 561-202-8886.