Development of techniques to improve mechanical analyses of the reconstructed shoulder joint

肩关节炎是一种常见的慢性疾病，也是造成疼痛、残疾和使用医疗服务的重要原因。肩关节关节炎的发病率随着年龄的增长而增加，因此，这种疾病的患病率和负担正在迅速增加。用金属和/或塑料植入物置换患病肩关节是最成功和最可预测的缓解该关节关节炎疼痛的方法。不稳定和假体过早松动会使肩关节置换术复杂化，也是肩关节置换术失败的主要原因。虽然现在有各种各样的植入系统可供选择，但从工程角度来看，这些设计的机械意义仍有待了解，特别是关于关节运动和载荷。优化这些关节的功能需要在实验室进行基于工程的生物力学研究。因此，本研究的长期目标是开展一系列全面的调查，旨在研究肩部植入物的生物力学，特别感兴趣的是为外科医生、工程师和治疗师提供新的知识，以增强植入物的设计，改进当前的手术技术，并制定最佳的治疗方案。在这项工作的5年任期内，建议开发肩部测试系统来研究植入重建肩关节的生物力学。此外，还将开发能够量化肩关节稳定性的技术，以便最终在手术室中用于临床。这些研究很可能会导致最先进的测试程序的发展，这将允许广泛的基于研究的研究。也可以预期，种植体测试系统的建立将成为种植体制造商的一种流行方法，因为他们的设计最终可以在该系统中进行跟踪，以评估新的。最终，这些研究将改善患者肩部植入物的机械性能。

Shoulder arthritis is a common chronic disease and a significant cause of pain, disability and utilization of health care services. The incidence of shoulder arthritis increases with age and, as a result, the prevalence and burden of this disorder is increasing rapidly. Replacement of the diseased shoulder with metal and/or plastic implants provides the most successful and predictable relief of pain for arthritis of this joint. Instability and premature implant loosening can complicate shoulder replacement, and is a major cause of failure of this reconstruction. Although a variety of implant systems are now available, much remains to be understood regarding the mechanical implications of these designs from an engineering perspective, particularly with regard to joint motion and loading. Optimizing the function of these joints necessitates engineering based biomechanical studies in the laboratory. Hence, the long-term goal of this research is to conduct a comprehensive series of investigations, aimed at the study of the biomechanics of shoulder implants, with special interest in arming the surgeon, engineer, and therapist with new knowledge that will enhance the design of implants, improve current surgical techniques, and develop optimal therapy protocols. Over the 5-year tenure of this work, it is proposed to develop shoulder-testing systems to investigate the biomechanics of implant reconstructed shoulder joints. Also, techniques that permit the quantification of shoulder stability for eventual clinical use in the operating room will be developed. It is likely that these studies will result in the evolution of a state of the art testing program that will permit a wide range of research-based studies. It is also anticipated that the establishment of the implant testing system will become a popular approach for implant manufacturers, as their designs can eventually be trailed in this system to assess new. Ultimately, these studies will improve the mechanical performance of shoulder implants in the patient.