The replacements must provide kinematic function and be able to transmit loads that reach several times body weight during the activities of daily living. The components are fixed to the bone using polymethylmethacrylate to fill the space between the bone and the device, or by bony ingrowth into a porous layer on the device. Ideally, the resulting structure should last the lifetime of the patient. Our work at Cornell concerns the analysis of these composite structures, the development of design criteria for total joint replacements, and the optimal design of these systems. Stresses between the articulating surfaces are particularly important.
Damage produces debris, which can migrate to surrounding soft tissue.
When the body reacts to this debris, it releases agents that attack the bone-implant interface, and this may increase the risk of loosening and infection. We make extensive use of numerical stress analysis and optimization techniques to study how the composite structure, its components, and its interfaces behave through time. This knowledge is then used to develop designs that extend the lifetime of the bone-implant system. Design of total knee replacement. In Total joint replacement, ed.