Microfluidic force sensor has real feel for hip replacement surgery

Implant survival rates are 89 per cent after 15 years but drop to 58 per cent after 25 years. Furthermore, hip replacement patients are often younger and more active than in previous generations, and their implants need to survive higher stresses.

The new microfluidic force sensors, developed by Professor Sohini Kar-Narayan at Cambridge University and Vikas Khanduja, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Addenbrooke’s Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, have the potential to reduce the chances of patients needing revision surgery.

“This is a key clinical unmet need, particularly for the hip joint,” said Khanduja. “Improper implant positioning, where forces on the implant are not balanced, can lead to premature wear and necessitating complex and expensive revision procedures.”

Hip replacement surgery involves the use of a liner, which is a wear-resistant plastic component forming the bearing surface on the acetabular (cup) side of the total hip replacement.

“Integrating sensors within the trial liners during surgery will provide real-time objective feedback to facilitate soft tissue balancing and accurate implant placement, thereby potentially prolonging the longevity of the implant,” said Khanduja.