MASSDEVICE ON CALL — A German team developed a new hip replacement implant that may be the answer to the high-profile hip device debates following the recall of DePuy’s metal-on-metal implants.
The researchers announced new hip implants that "unlike the conventional counterpart implants on the market today, provide a metal-free solution and bone-like elasticity."
The devices are free from the concerns that brought down DePuy’s ASR hip implants – namely, that the metal components rubbed against one another, eroding and releasing tiny metal fragments into a patient’s bloodstream.
The new implants, developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA in Stuttgart, are made from carbon fiber reinforced PEEK (a high-strength, wear-resistant, biocompatible polymer composite) and ceramic, according to a press release.
"The cobalt-chromium implants in use to date are very rigid, and the load transfer to the bone is non-optimal leading to potential adverse bone adaptation," Fraunhofer IPA engineer Jasmin Hipp said in prepared remarks. "Thanks to the new combination of materials, the transmission of force through the PEEK hip socket to the pelvic bone is modeled on natural conditions. And there are no metal ions released."
The device prototypes fared well in initial testing, done with robots that simulate a variety of movements such as walking and climbing stairs.
Some patients in end-of-life situations opt to shut off their implanted cardiac defibrillators in hopes of avoiding the shock that 8% of patients experience in the last minutes of life. Read more
An Institute of Medicine infographic details the severity and costs of obesity in America. Read more
The American College of Cardiology issues new guidelines on when to use cardiac catheterization to look for heart problems. Read more
The costs of screening children for sudden cardiac death may not be worth the potential benefits when compared with other life-saving measures, according to Tufts researchers. Read more
A bipartisan team of House Representatives introduces a bill to issue a permanent "doc fix" that would avoid the yearly clamor to sustain reimbursement rates Medicare pays to health providers. Read more
Researchers at the University of Cambridge use "virtual reality" to measure brain activity with unprecedented clarity. Read more
The American Medical Assn. joined in urging Medicare to speed Stage 2 meaningful use requirements for electronic health records. Read more
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.