Imperial College scientists at the cutting edge in the search for new and better hip replacements
SCIENTISTS at Imperial College are helping to improve the quality of life for the 50,000 people in the UK who have hip replacements every year, by helping to produce longer lasting artificial joints.
The work, carried out by a team led by Dr Andrew Amis in the department of mechanical engineering, is being highlighted by leading medical research charity the Arthritis Research Campaign - which is funding four related research grants totalling more than £250,000 – during its Research Week (June 7-13).
The awareness week focused on the enormous success of joint replacement surgery over the past few years, ever-better surgical techniques, and the resulting benefits for thousands of arthritis sufferers. It also aims to restore public confidence in joint replacement, following public concern earlier this year over the failure of one type of hip replacement.
At Imperial College, Dr Amis is involved in a study which he hopes will result in a computer program that will allow hip joint designers to produce new artificial joints which will reduce the amount of bone loss around the joint – one of the major reasons for hip replacement failure.
"We aim to learn more about the way the bones change after an artificial joint is implanted," explained Dr Amis. " Bones may seem like inert structures when compared with muscles or skin, but they are living tissues, and so they do respond to altered conditions."
Dr Amis's team has been studying the changes in bone density in a small group of patients, from before their operation until two years later. At the same time, a computer program has been written that can predict the bone changes theoretically. The computer predictions are then compared to the actual bone changes, which allows the computer program to be changed, and made more accurate.
"The end result of this work will be a computer program that will allow hip joint designers to predict how new designs will affect the bones in the future," added Dr Amis. " With this tool, new designs can be introduced which should minimise the bone losses, and so help to ensure long-term success of artificial hips in the future."
