Design and biomechanical analyses of radial head elbow implants

桡骨头是形成肘关节的三块骨头之一。桡骨头允许肘关节弯曲和伸直以及前臂的旋转。桡骨头骨折是成人中最常见的肘部骨折，经常导致僵硬、疼痛和虚弱。虽然大多数桡骨头骨折可以固定，但有些骨折过于碎片化，无法成功愈合。在这种情况下采用桡骨头置换术，然而，相对于髋关节和膝关节置换术的成功，桡骨头置换术的结果不太可靠。目前的植入物不能模拟桡骨近端复杂的形状；因此，这些设备的失败率很高也就不足为奇了。本研究的目的是利用计算机成像技术精确测量大量正常肘关节近端桡骨的形状，以开发一种解剖性桡骨头植入系统。我们还计划在台式尸体研究中将这些解剖植入物的性能与天然桡骨头进行比较。此外，我们计划使用计算机成像技术，利用逆向工程的方法来开发一个精确的本地桡骨头复制品，以评估定制制造的桡骨头假体的可行性和性能，以精确匹配患者的情况。我们乐观地认为，这种“从实验室到床边”的方法将改善这种常见骨折患者的预后。

The radial head is one of three bones which form the elbow joint. The radial head allows for both bending and straightening of the elbow and rotation of the forearm. Fractures of the radial head are the most common elbow fractures seen in adults and frequently result in stiffness, pain and weakness. While most radial head fractures can be fixed, some are too fragmented to allow successful healing. Radial head replacement is employed in such cases, however, relative to the success of hip and knee replacements, the outcome of radial head implants has been less reliable. Current implants do not mimic the complex shape of the proximal radius; hence it is not surprising that there is a high incidence of failure of these devices. The objective of the current study is to accurately measure the shape of the proximal radius of a large number of normal elbows using computer imaging in an effort to develop an anatomic radial head implant system. We also plan to compare the performance of these anatomic implants with the native radial head in a bench-top cadaveric study. Furthermore we plan to use computer imaging to develop an exact replica of the native radial head using a reverse-engineering approach, to evaluate the feasibility and performance of custom manufactured radial head prostheses that precisely match that of patients. We are optimistic that this 'bench to bedside' approach will result in improved outcome for patients afflicted this common fracture.