Clifton Springs, NY – In a pioneering step for joint replacement care in our region, Rochester Regional Health (RRH) has successfully implanted its first Persona IQ Smart Knee® device in Fairport resident Greg Malzewski. Performed at Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic, this milestone underscores RRH’s commitment to bringing cutting‑edge technologies to the region, ensuring that patients in the Finger Lakes have access to the most advanced orthopedic solutions.
Malzewski, once a jogger and avid hunter, has suffered from degenerative arthritis in his knees for the last several years. “At this point, they say my knee is bone on bone,” said Malzewski. “It has drastically restricted my ability to do the things I want and I look forward to getting some of that back after the surgery.” When asked about his willingness to be the first patient in the region to receive the high-tech device from a health system, Malzewski, a retired telecommunications professional, said, “I already have a phone that’s smarter than me so I may as well have a smart knee to go with it.”
The Persona IQ Smart Knee® created by ZimmerBioMet is a next‑generation total knee arthroplasty (TKA) implant that goes beyond traditional prosthetics. The Persona IQ® includes an embedded ‘smart’ extension that continuously and passively collects objective biomechanics data, such as gait metrics, range of motion, cadence, stride length, walking speed, and step count during the patient’s daily life. This data is transmitted nightly into a companion app, allowing the surgical and rehabilitation team to monitor a patient’s recovery remotely in nearly real time. Clinicians can compare the patient’s progress against population recovery curves, observe subtle trends or deviations in motion or gait, and intervene early if recovery lags expectations.
This ‘smart knee’ effectively gives the joint a voice, supplementing subjective assessments with continuous objective data to truly personalize post‑operative care.
“This implant marks a paradigm shift in how we oversee joint replacement recovery,” said Dr. Sean Childs, an orthopedic surgeon with RRH, who performed the surgery on Monday morning. “The ability to continuously monitor patient biomechanics gives us a window into daily function that was never before possible.”
As the Persona IQ® device allows care teams to remotely and continuously monitor recovery, it enables early detection of issues with more proactive, personalized interventions. By sharing real-time data with both patients and providers, it supports collaborative rehabilitation, improves care efficiency, and reduces unnecessary visits.
Rochester Regional Health is the only healthcare provider in the region offering this state-of-the-art technology. The Persona IQ® offering highlights RRH’s commitment to investing in next-generation medical technologies, ensuring patients can receive advanced care close to home. Through cross-disciplinary collaboration and data-driven practices, RRH is building a smarter, more personalized future for orthopedic care in the Finger Lakes.
To schedule an appointment, patients can call (585) 922-BONE (2663).
To learn more about RRH’s joint replacement services, visit our Joint Replacement page.
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About Rochester Regional Health Rochester Regional Health is an integrated health services organization serving the people of Western New York, the Finger Lakes, St. Lawrence County, and beyond. The system includes nine hospitals; primary and specialty practices, rehabilitation centers, ambulatory campuses and urgent care facilities; innovative senior services, facilities and independent housing; a wide range of behavioral health services; and Rochester Regional Health Laboratories and ACM Global Laboratories, a global leader in patient and clinical trials. Rochester Regional Health is the region's second-largest employer and was named by Newsweek among America’s Greatest Workplaces in Healthcare for 2025. Learn more at www.rochesterregional.org.
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