Finnish Orthopedic Clinic “Coxa” Now Operating in Yerevan, at Nairi Medical Center
A previously unavailable service is now being introduced in Armenia — secondary joint implantation, also known as revision endoprosthesis surgery. Until now, Armenian patients in need of revision surgery had to travel abroad, as this procedure was not performed in the country. From now on, such operations will be possible locally. The clinic is currently the only one of its kind in the region.
On March 30, the “Nairi–Coxa” clinic was inaugurated in Yerevan. The center was established through cooperation between Nairi Medical Center (Armenia) and Coxa, a Finnish orthopedic clinic recognized as one of the largest specialized joint replacement centers in Europe.
Revision endoprosthesis surgery — that is, repeat joint replacement in cases of implant wear, loosening, or infection — will now be available in Armenia using technology introduced by Finnish specialists. While primary joint replacement is already performed in several Armenian clinics, the replacement of a previously implanted prosthesis in complicated cases has remained a challenge. That gap is now being addressed.
Tarmo Martikainen, Director of Coxa Clinic, explained that about two years ago the leadership of Nairi Medical Center visited Coxa in Finland. Initially, the idea was to refer Armenian patients to Coxa, which treats patients from across Europe. Later, however, the Finnish side concluded that it would be more effective to transfer the expertise to Armenia, send specialists to Yerevan, implement the technology locally, and train local teams. “There is clear interest in developing this field in Armenia, so it was reasonable to build the service here,” he said.
According to the Armenian project lead, Mikael Manukyan, their first visit to Coxa demonstrated a fundamentally different approach to joint surgery and perioperative management. “We saw patients being discharged just a few days after surgery, without significant pain. We saw the type of implants and technologies in use — and at that time such solutions were not available in Yerevan. That was the point when we decided to collaborate with Coxa and open a branch here in Yerevan,” he said.
Manukyan noted that, at the initial stage, Finnish surgeons will operate on Armenian patients in Yerevan until local orthopedic surgeons complete full training. “Coxa will be responsible for quality oversight,” he added.
Addressing the need for such procedures in Armenia, Manukyan pointed out that Finland, with a population of around 5 million, performs approximately 3,300 joint replacement surgeries per year at Coxa. Armenia’s population is about 3 million, yet only around 200 such operations are performed annually. He emphasized that, from now on, patients will no longer need to travel abroad for revision joint replacement. He also noted that costs in Armenia will be significantly lower than in Western Europe. A partnership has been established with the U.S. implant manufacturer Zimmer Biomet to supply high-quality implants at more favorable pricing. The company will additionally provide training for the clinical staff.
Anatoli Gnuni, Head of the Intensive Care Service, stated that the long-term goal is to develop “Nairi–Coxa” in Yerevan into a regional center for joint replacement, based on the model of Coxa in Finland.
The opening ceremony in Yerevan was also attended by Coxa founder and Head of the Medical School of Tampere University, Matti Lehton, as well as the Rector of Yerevan State Medical University, Mikael Narimanyan. According to Narimanyan, Armenian and Finnish medical institutions intend to cooperate in specialist training using Finnish clinical standards and technology. “This once again demonstrates that medical practice, advanced technology, and medical education are inseparable today,” he said.
