News • New technology approach
‘Personalised’ hip replacements to improve outcomes
Using advanced technology from the automotive and manufacturing industries, researchers are driving medical advancement to create ‘personalised’ hip replacements.
Implants
News • Circumferential bioelectronics
A ‘wraparound’ implant to treat spinal cord injuries
A tiny, flexible electronic device that wraps around the spinal cord could represent a new approach to the treatment of spinal injuries, which can cause profound disability and paralysis.
News • Minimally invasive procedure
Aortic valve replacement: TAVR on par with surgical approach
Decreased rates of death and stroke: new research shows the validity of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in low-risk patients. This advocates a less invasive alternative to surgical options.
News • Potential fix for intertrochanteric fractures
Bionic nail to reduce femur fracture complications
Traditional fixation techniques often fall short in addressing the mechanical challenges of unstable intertrochanteric femur fractures. A new nail aims to fix this issue.
News • Implant and app
New device monitors bladder fullness
A new bioelectronic sensor enables continuous monitoring of bladder function. This could be a game-changer for people with paralysis, spina bifida, bladder cancer or end-stage bladder disease.
News • Inflammatory flareup detection
Crohn's disease: Implantable sensor could lead to timelier treatment
A team of Northwestern University scientists has developed the first wireless, implantable temperature sensor to detect inflammatory flareups in patients with Crohn’s disease.
Sponsored • Hip arthroplasty
Endoprostheses for elderly and frail patients: Preparation is half the battle
An ageing population and modern lifestyle conditions have greatly increased the case numbers for hip arthroplasty. To prevent complications, it is important for orthopaedic surgeons to identify high-risk patients and take proper precautions. At the Heraeus symposium at DKOU, two experts explored the special measures that should be taken to ensure better outcomes for elderly and frail patients.
News • Promising prototype solution
An artificial heart valve that grows with the child
Many children born with heart problems receive prosthetic valves, but the valves cannot grow with them. A prototype expanding artificial heart valve could greatly reduce the number of surgeries.
News • Researchers look into mammoplasty aftereffects
Immune system disorders after silicone breast implant surgery
Russian scientists have conducted a comprehensive examination of why some women present with autoimmune conditions after silicone augmentation mammoplasty.
News • Insulin and oxygen production
An implantable device for injection-free diabetes control
Engineers from MIT are developing a device containing insulin-producing cells and a tiny oxygen-producing factory to keep the cells of diabetes patients healthy.
News • Intratumoral approach for hard-to-treat glioma
Microdevices implanted into tumor to help treat brain cancer
A new type of microdevice could offer new ways to treat brain cancer. The shape and size of a grain of rice, it is implanted into a tumor to study the effects of ongoing therapies.
News • Device and software
New prototype to take the guess work out of spinal surgery
Spinal fusion is a highly invasive surgery where an implant is placed in the spine to prevent movement between bones. Currently, failure rate is high, but a new prototype device could change this.
News • Bioreactor approach
Can an artificial kidney free patients from dialysis?
A new approach to treating kidney failure could one day free people from needing dialysis or having to take harsh drugs to suppress their immune system after a transplant.
News • Implantable device for severe heart failure
Soft robotic heart: €10 million grant for research
The consortium Holland Hybrid Heart will receive €10 million to develop a soft robotic heart suitable for transplantation.
News • Size-changing and personalised
Researchers create 4D printed implants for efficient breast cancer management
Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast have created personalised 4D printed “smart” implants for breast cancer management - a first for this technology.
News • Soft, wireless implant
A dissolving cardiac device that monitors and treats heart disease
A new device could monitor and treat heart disease and dysfunction in the days, weeks or months following traumatic heart-related events — and harmlessly dissolve afterwards.
News • Joint implant material
Biodegradable gel shows promise for cartilage regeneration
A gel that combines both stiffness and toughness is a step forward in the bid to create biodegradable implants for joint injuries, according to new research from the University of British Columbia.
News • Focused Rotary Jet Spinning
Rapid-production heart valves control blood flow immediately after implantation
A new method for cheaply producing heart valves in the span of minutes shows great promise. The scientists describe the method as "a cotton-candy machine with a hair dryer behind it."
News • Strain mapping and antimicrobial properties
Smart coatings give early warning for implant failure
Newly developed “smart” coatings for surgical orthopedic implants can monitor strain on the devices to provide early warning of implant failures while killing infection-causing bacteria.
News • Flexible electronics and human stem cells
‘Biohybrid’ device could restore function in paralysed limbs
Cambridge researchers have developed a new type of neural implant that could restore limb function to amputees and others who have lost the use of their arms or legs.
Sponsored • Orthopaedics
Hip arthroplasty for femoral neck fractures – but without the complications
Arthroplasty for femoral neck fractures has seen enormous progress in recent years, but complications due to infections are still a major problem. With good preparation and the right technique, however, orthopaedic surgeons can take away much of the horror of this scenario.
News • AI enables greater mobility
Personalized finger joint implants from a 3D printer
Researchers use AI to develop personalized 3D-printed joint implants so that these delicate finger parts can be replaced when necessary (e.g. after illness or injury).
Sponsored • Periprosthetic protection
Bone cements containing antibiotics for infection prophylaxis – quo vadis?
Periprosthetic infections and revisions are on the rise in Germany and worldwide, with significant consequences for affected patients as well as for the healthcare systems. Precisely because the number of patients at higher risk of infection in arthroplasty continues to rise, attention is increasingly focused on how this dreaded complication can be avoided.
Article • Custom parts made in the lab
3D printed implants on demand
A custom-made new hip, a knee or maybe a piece of bone? The technology and possibilities for 3D printing are (almost) there. And such an implant from a 3D printer has many advantages, not only for the patient, but also for the surgeon who has to perform the operation. Koen Willemsen, physician, and medical engineer at the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), was at the cradle of the 3D lab…
News • Separation between silicone and fat tissue
Algorithm improves MRI breast implant monitoring
In MRI-based monitoring of silicone implants, separation of silicone and fat tissue is challenging. A newly developed algorithm was designed to assist in the task.
