---
title: "Chisinau hospital restores man's mobility with rare knee implant"
url: https://radiomoldova.md/p/86348/chisinau-hospital-restores-man-s-mobility-with-rare-knee-implant
published: 2026-10-02T04:53:00Z
language: en
author: "Ana Cebotari"
section: "Social"
source: radiomoldova.md
---

# Chisinau hospital restores man's mobility with rare knee implant

> Surgeons in Chisinau have successfully performed the facility's first rotating-hinge knee replacement, restoring mobility to a 71-year-old patient suffering from debilitating chronic pain and severe bone loss following previous surgery.

![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/2fecde44-cf70-448d-b2cf-cff594d4fa63.jpg)

Surgeons in Chisinau have successfully performed the facility's first rotating-hinge knee replacement, restoring mobility to a 71-year-old patient suffering from debilitating chronic pain and severe bone loss following previous surgery.

The five-hour operation took place at the Clinical Hospital of Traumatology and Orthopedics. The patient, a resident of Moldova's northern Ocnița district, had undergone an initial knee replacement in 2004, but recurring complications and a severe localized infection in 2020 caused extensive bone deterioration in his left leg.

![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/90b83b8a-f52b-409b-abfd-ab3493214354.jpg)

**Advanced reconstructive technique**

Conventional prosthetic models were no longer viable due to the near-total loss of stabilizing ligaments and bone structure. Specialists opted for a rotating-hinge implant, a specialized system engineered for severe joint deformities and failed primary implants.

*“While primary joint replacement focuses on replacing damaged articular surfaces, a complex revision involving extensive bone loss requires rebuilding the knee's entire support structure,”* said Sergiu Ciobanu, head of the hospital's Orthopedics and Traumatology Department No. 2.

The prosthetic system incorporates specialized stems and metaphyseal sleeves, replicating natural leg motion by permitting flexion, extension, and controlled rotation while assuming the mechanical function of damaged ligaments.

![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/80cd5149-861f-4b55-9cf9-f9dade78b605.jpg)

![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/45dd4ef9-545c-402b-88c8-5eeeb4a8ec1f.jpg)

**Rapid functional recovery**

Two months after the complex procedure, the patient has resumed walking and bending his leg without discomfort.

*“The pain was severe, and I could not sleep at night, especially when the weather changed,”* the patient said. *“Two months have passed since the surgery, and the pain is gone. I can walk, I can bend my leg, and the prosthesis feels remarkably light.”*

Hospital officials noted that the breakthrough establishes a vital treatment pathway for patients facing catastrophic joint damage where standard arthroplasty fails. Across Moldova, surgeons performed more than 7,100 hip and knee replacement procedures in 2025.

Translation by **Iurie Tataru**

***
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