QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF LOOSENING IN HIP ARTHROPLASTIES USING MECHANICAL VIBRATION DIAGNOSTICS

人工关节机械设计的最新进展和改进使其具有更高的强度、疲劳寿命和耐磨性。然而，关节置换术工作寿命的延长导致患者越来越容易出现关节松动的问题。在世界范围内，每年有超过50万例髋关节置换术。其中7%到13%的人在工作的某个阶段会因为关节松动而需要翻修手术。这正成为世界各地卫生服务的一个主要问题，因为翻修手术对患者的风险更高，费用远高于初次手术。目前使用放射成像的诊断技术既具有侵入性，又缺乏诊断准确性。检测关节松动和区分关节成形术后关节松动的各种原因的能力对后续护理计划的成功非常重要。这项研究将是世界上首次评估一种新的诊断测试的有效性，该测试使用低能机械振动来量化植入髋关节的两个部件的松动程度。一旦这项技术得到证实，它就可以很容易地扩展到评估用于替代膝盖、脚踝或上肢关节的其他植入假体的固定程度。

Recent advances and improvements made to the mechanical design of artificial joints have led to greater strength, fatigue life and wear resistance. However, this extension to the working life of joint replacements has led to patients becoming increasingly vulnerable to the problem of joint loosening. There are over 500 000 hip joint replacements performed every year, on a worldwide basis. Of these 7 to 13% will require revision surgery because of loosening at some stage of their working life. This is becoming a major concern to health services around the world since revision surgery is associated with a higher risk to the patient and costs are far greater than for the primary operation. Current diagnostic techniques using radiographic imaging are both invasive and lack diagnostic accuracy. The ability to detect joint loosening and to discriminate between the various causes of joint loosening following arthroplasty is of great importance to the success of subsequent care plans. This study will be the first in the world to assess the validity of a new diagnostic test that uses low energy mechanical vibration to quantify the degree of loosening in both components of the implanted hip joint. Once the technique has been proven it could readily be extended to evaluate the degree of fixation of other implanted prostheses used to replace the knee, ankle or joints of the upper limbs.