Conformis Total Knee Replacement (iTotal) FAQs What are the main advantages? It gives a knee that feels like your own and restores quality of life. This has been reported at national meetings in scientific studies and, as an Orthopaedic Surgeon, has been my experience. The study presented at the British Association for Knee Surgery reported that 100% of patients felt as if it were their own knee. Specifically 61% felt it was their own knee all of the time and 39% at least some of the time. Comments from patients include: "It feels like my young knee" "It feels like my own, always has" (since the operation) “I forget about it” “The strange thing is that it feels like my own knee” It is also highly rated for its feeling of stability. Is it available on the NHS? No, unfortunately not although this may change in the future. For patients in Germany the German public health system fund it, presumably because they see the benefits, hopefully the same thinking will follow in the UK. How much more expensive is it than an off the shelf total knee replacement? It’s £3,000 more, but this also includes custom 3D printed positioning guides which, on their own, for an off the shelf total knee replacement are approximately £500. Furthermore the length of hospital stay is reduced by one day so the real cost is actually £2,000 more. Financial details In reality NHS patients are unable to pay a "top-up" because of the NHS principle of healthcare being free at the point of use. Insured patients are covered for the cost of knee replacement surgery worked out on the basis of an off the shelf knee, therefore the Hospital will ask patients to pay a £3,000 top up for a custom knee, so this might not be for everyone. Self-paying patients would pay an "all inclusive package price" of £10,680 plus £725 for a CT scan, £100 for an x-ray and £150 for a consultation. An off the shelf knee replacement (best in class for survivorship at 10 years national joint registry) "all inclusive package price" is £8,160 and, £100 for an x-ray £150 for an initial consultation.