New technology to track movement, durability of hip, knee implants

A new tracking system enables physicians to determine how a hip or knee implant is interacting with their patients' bodies through use of a radiostereometric analysis device.

The device can help physicians monitor if a replacement implant is wearing down or moving. The implant procedure, according to a Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush news release, also provides a radiostereometric analysis (RSA) registry for implants — allowing researchers to collect data on materials and designs used for hip and knee replacement prostheses.

Scott Sporer, MD, is one of the first physicians in the country to use the new device in all compliant patients, according to the release.

“RSA will let us track relative motion of different implant materials such as metal, plastic and ceramic and provide us data about the safety and efficacy of these devices,” Sporer stated in the release. “Although research shows that very few hip and knee replacement patients experience failure, now we have data to determine the success of each patient’s implant.”

According to the release, RSA allows X-rays to be taken from different angles creating a ‘stereo’ three-dimensional image. Using beads as markers around the implant, physicians can use RSA to determine a hip and knee patient’s progress. The data collected from the RSA device can also provide research for future implant design and technology, as well as let researchers know which materials may be the most efficacious or durable.

“If a patient complains of pain, we compare a recent RSA scan to the original scan,” Wayne G. Paprosky, MD stated in the release. “If we notice instability, we can intervene, possibly by performing a surgery to stabilize the patient before more complications develop.”

Reference:
www.rushortho.com