2020/01/23
Keio University School of Medicine
Kindai University, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology
National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology (QST)
A joint research group, including Project Assistant Professor Daisuke Nakashima, Project Professor Takeo Nagura (Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co., Inc. Endowed Chair in Clinical Biomechanics), and Professor Masaya Nakamura from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Keio University School of Medicine; Assistant Professor Katsuhiro Mikami from the Faculty of Biological Science and Technology at Kindai University; and Principal Researcher Noboru Hasegawa from the Kansai Photon Science Institute, Quantum Beam Science Center at the National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology (QST), has successfully demonstrated the principle of a technology for intraoperatively evaluating the fixation strength of acetabular cups in basic experiments using bone phantoms.
Musculoskeletal disorders caused by fractures, falls, and other incidents are a leading reason for individuals requiring long-term care and support. The number of total hip arthroplasty procedures, a treatment for these disorders, is increasing annually worldwide. A known complication of this surgery is the early postoperative loosening and dislocation of the acetabular cup from the pelvis. Currently, the intraoperative evaluation of acetabular cup fixation strength relies on the surgeon's tactile sensation when hammering the cup into place, and no technology exists for quantitative measurement during surgery.
The laser resonance frequency analysis developed by this research team can evaluate the "lift-off" or "detachment" of the acetabular cup from the pelvis by irradiating the cup with a laser beam during surgery and measuring its vibration frequency. This method is a quantitative evaluation technique that can be performed repeatedly without causing any damage to the patient's body.
It is expected that the development of medical diagnostic equipment applying this innovative technology will greatly contribute to the realization of safer and more reliable total hip arthroplasty.
This research was published in the online edition of "Sensors" on November 8 (Central European Time).
Please see below for the full press release.