India, Jan. 15 -- More than 15 crore Indians suffer from knee problems, out of which about 4 crore patients need total knee replacement (TKR), imposing a huge health burden on the country. In contrast, in China, about 6.5 crore people suffer from knee problems - less than half the number in India.

The incidence of knee arthritis among Indians is 15 times higher than that in Western nations. This is because of the genetic predisposition of Indians towards knee arthritis, and a lifestyle that results in the overuse of knee joints. This was said by Dr. Vikram I. Shah, Founder Chairman & Managing Director, Shalby Hospitals (Shalby Limited), Ahmedabad, who on an average conducts total knee replacement surgery on 700 to 800 patients from Mumba...