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Baby boomers are the driving force behind some new medical technology.

KHOU-TV

New knee replacements are made smaller for women.

More active than any other generation, the number of knee replacements is expected to increase more than 600 percent in the next two decades.

New joint replacement systems are being tweaked for longevity and redesigned for a more comfortable female fit.

Too much rain has left Joyce Grace with more than a little gardening.

“This is the hardest thing to get to — the weeding,” Grace said. “Used to I couldn’t get down like this, so I’m grateful.”

Two bad knees left her in plenty of pain.

“I bet I limped over four years before I thought, ‘I’ve got to do something,’” she said.

According to a New England Journal of Medicine study, women suffer from arthritis at three times the rate of men, and they are twice as likely to need a total joint replacement.

“Women’s knees are smaller, they’re typically not as wide here,” orthopedic surgeon Dr. Laura Torres said.

Until recently, replacement parts came in one size. Now the Triathlon Knee Replacement system comes in a smaller, more female-friendly size.

“We try to take as little bone as possible,” Dr. Torres said. “We want to replace the same amount, so now the little design it fits better and get more natural range of motion.”

Dr. Torres replaced both of Joyce Grace’s knees. With smaller replacements there are smaller incisions, and recovery is quicker.

The woman who used to limp when she walked and couldn’t climb stairs is now well on the road to recovery.

Even every day chores are enjoyable again.