Long-life surgery
A computer modelling system may soon identify which hip implants are most likely to succeed for the long term
When a patient undergoes hip replacement surgery, the ultimate aim is for the implant to outlive them and give them a pain-free lifestyle. Increasingly, younger people are receiving the surgery, which puts more demand on the longevity of the implant and the stresses likely to be placed on it.
A number of factors influence the performance of hip replacements. To date, experimental investigations have been limited to analysing a single situation.
A project by the School of Engineering Sciences at the
will apply engineering principles to create a computer model to identify which implants will perform best. It will take into account variations in parameters, such as the properties of bone, the loading conditions and the surgical technique in a single analysis.
It will also study cementless implants, which rely on the implant attaching itself to the bone biologically, and which are more suitable for younger patients.
According to Dr Martin Browne, reader in biomaterials science at Southampton, applying engineering reliability algorithms could improve the outlook for implants.
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