Simulating Surgery Helps Reduce Implant Complications

A computer surgery-simulation breakthrough could mean fewer medical complications and better surgical outcomes for patients undergoing hip, knee, or spinal implant surgery.

The OrthoSim platform is a system using computer software to create anatomical and implant simulations. Set up to develop an orthopedic surgery planning tool, the platform can significantly reduce the risk of post-operative complications, as well as provide a means for testing new implant devices. The simulation models are based on the work of two leading European biomechanics research centers; the lumbar spinal region model is the result of over 20 years of research at the biomechanical lab of the L'Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Arts et Metiers (ENSAM, Paris, France), while the lumbar implant model was provided by the Instituto de Biomecánica de Valencia (Spain). The models were combined to provide a reliable simulation of the interface between the artificial implant and the living tissue. The platform can be used to study the suitability of new implant devices and can help pinpoint any problems with the design at an early stage. The models are linked together and are hosted at an online service.

"Initially we had a model just for lumbar spine implants, but in the last months we have almost completed a validated model for hip implants,” said Dr. Ing. Ruben Lafuente, coordinator of the OrthoSim project at Adapting (Paterna, Spain), the company directing the project. "We believe that once we finish perfecting a model for knee implants we will have a very strong set of tools to offer surgeons.”

"About 10% of operations have complications, often requiring a new implant, or a further surgery,” added Dr. Lafuente. "It means increased pain and inconvenience, a drain on human resources and of course it is expensive, too.”

A follow-on project, called OrthoTraining, is taking the OrthoSim toolset a step further; over the next two years, OrthoTraining's researchers plan to develop a surgical training tool based on OrthoSim's work.


Related Links:
L'Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Arts et Metiers
Instituto de Biomecánica de Valencia
Adapting