A British cat that was run over by a car has received the first complete feline knee replacement surgery. After twelve weeks of hospitalization and unprecedented veterinary procedures, Missy the cat is back at home with her family:

The new total knee replacement implant for the other leg was designed by Dr Fitzpatrick, Professor Gordon Blunn and Mr Jay Meswania of OrthoFitz Implants.

It is made of two parts which are linked together with a hinged mechanism so that the knee ligaments - which had all been shredded - would no longer be required and the knee could no longer dislocate.[...]

The three-inch long implant is made out of stainless steel and is bonded to the thigh bone and the shin bone using cement

The design phase was particularly challenging for the prosthetist because human knee replacements need only accommodate walking, but a joint for a cat must assume that the user will try to run and jump.

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