As the UK’s population continues to age, demand for orthopaedic procedures (especially knee and hip replacements) is surging. These surgeries restore mobility and independence for hundreds of thousands of people each year. But what’s less talked about is the unseen layer of precision engineering that makes successful outcomes possible: the tools, trials and templates that help surgeons perform with confidence, accuracy and efficiency.
At Kirkstall Precision, part of the Kaleidex Group, we manufacture these parts with meticulous attention to detail. One of the most essential, but often overlooked, components is the Knee Trial and Template set.
What are Knee Trials and Templates?
In a typical total knee replacement, the goal is to remove damaged cartilage and bone, then replace it with a prosthesis that mirrors the natural structure and movement of the joint. To do this successfully, surgeons must prepare the bone surface with absolute accuracy.
The template is a stainless-steel guide, precisely engineered to shape and orient the bone cuts. It’s used to ensure the surgeon aligns their cutting tools correctly, matching the planned placement of the implant.
The trial, meanwhile, is typically made of medical-grade plastic. It mimics the final implant and is temporarily inserted mid-surgery to check fit, alignment and range of motion before the permanent prosthesis is fixed in place.
These tools help ensure the selected implant is the right size, is placed accurately, and will deliver the best possible function, before anything irreversible happens.
Why precision matters
Every knee is slightly different. Factors such as bone density, joint geometry, and prior injury history can affect how the replacement should be aligned. That’s where precision manufacturing comes in.
The tolerance range on parts like these is incredibly fine, sometimes less than the width of a human hair. At Kirkstall Precision, we machine templates from stainless steel and trials from plastic to exact specifications, ensuring consistent performance under surgical conditions.
Helping people move better and live fuller.
The benefits of these tools go far beyond the operating table. For patients, precise knee replacement means:
- Less post-operative pain
- Faster recovery and rehab times
- Lower risk of implant failure or revision surgery
- Better mobility and long-term joint function
This is especially critical for elderly patients, where mobility is directly linked to independence, social participation and mental wellbeing. It also matters for younger, more active patients (such as athletes recovering from injury) who need confident, durable solutions to return to peak function.
Why demand is rising
According to the National Joint Registry, the number of primary knee replacements performed annually in the UK is approaching 120,000, and rising. A combination of factors is driving this trend:
- An ageing population living longer and expecting higher quality of life
- Greater public confidence in surgical outcomes and recovery times
- Technological advances that make surgery less invasive and more precise
This increased demand puts more pressure on the supply chain, from implant designers to the manufacturers producing surgical tools at scale.
That’s where Kirkstall Precision plays a vital role. Our advanced CNC machining and rigorous quality control processes help ensure that every component we deliver performs reliably and precisely in theatre.
Supporting surgical innovation
Trials and templates are also vital in robotic-assisted and navigation-guided knee surgery, growing fields that rely on digital precision. In these cases, real-time feedback from the trial stage can be captured and fed into surgical systems that optimise implant position on the fly.
As robotic surgery continues to evolve, the demand for highly accurate, bespoke surgical tools will only increase, especially those that are pre-sterilised, lightweight, and made from biocompatible materials. Our team at Kirkstall is already exploring how our processes and technology can support these developments.
More than parts, it’s people
Behind every knee trial or template lies a chain of collaboration between engineers, clinicians, and materials scientists. From concept to prototype to production, it’s a team effort focused on a single outcome: helping someone walk further, live independently, or get back on the pitch.
Our commitment at Kirkstall Precision and across the Kaleidex Group is not just to meet rising demand, but to anticipate it. That means:
- Investing in smart manufacturing and quality assurance systems
- Developing even tighter tolerances and custom-fit solutions
- Working with medical device designers and surgical teams to iterate faster
- Bringing new ideas from prototype to production, without compromising precision
Knee Trials and Templates may not make headlines, but they make all the difference in the theatre. Precision-manufactured, built to withstand demanding surgical conditions, and designed to deliver better patient outcomes, they’re a key part of the future of joint replacement. And that future is being built right now on shop floors like ours.