What it is
Persona IQ® is a total knee implant with a small sensor built into the stem of the tibial (shin-bone) component. From the outside, and from the inside, for that matter, your knee replacement looks and works like a standard implant. The difference is that after surgery, it quietly records how the knee is moving and shares that information securely with your care team.
What it measures
- Step counts, how much you're actually walking, day by day.
- Walking speed and cadence, how your gait is maturing as you heal.
- Range-of-motion patterns, how the knee bends and straightens in real life, not just in the exam room.
- Trends over time, the shape of your recovery across weeks and months.
What it does not do
- It does not diagnose problems by itself. Data raises questions; it doesn't answer them.
- It does not replace how you feel, what you report, or a physical examination.
- It does not track your location. It records how the knee moves, not where you go.
- It does not need charging, and there is nothing for you to operate.
Why objective data helps
Recovery has always been tracked by memory: “How far are you walking?”, “Oh, a fair amount.” Memory is generous. Objective data gives you and Dr. Seem a shared, honest picture: if your step counts climb week over week, that's reassurance no questionnaire can match. If the data plateaus when it shouldn't, that's a conversation worth having early, sometimes before you'd have thought to call.
What it means for your follow-up
For patients recovering well, remote data can support spacing out routine visits, fewer drives for a five-minute “you're doing great.” In-person care is always available when you want or need it; the data changes the default, not the access.
Privacy, plainly
Your data is transmitted securely, is used for your care, and is protected like any other medical record. Ask Dr. Seem anything about this, it's a fair topic, and the answer shouldn't be vague.
Who it's right for, and who it isn't
The sensor version fits a specific range of implant sizes and cases, and some patients simply prefer not to have one, both are fine. Whether Persona IQ fits you depends on your anatomy, your case, and whether the added information would meaningfully change your care. It's a conversation, not an upsell: the operation, the technique, and the attention are identical either way.