Scientists want to improve cancer prevention and hip surgery

Aachener researchers successful in Medical Technology Innovation Competition

Every year in Germany around 150,000 people receive a hip replacement. After an average of 15 years, replacement of the artificial hip joint is necessary. In order for the new prosthesis to be used safely, the old bone cement must be removed.  In this process, the femur must not be damaged. So far, the thickness of the bone cement mantle can only be determined in advance by means of 3D X-ray. The risk of damaging the bone is high since a direct view of the milling cutter in the depth of the bone marrow space is practically impossible during the procedure. A team at the Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Radermacher and Prof. Dr. Steffen Leonhardt are working with doctors from Bonn and SurgiTAIX AG from Aachen on a solution. They want to develop an intelligent milling head that supports the easy replacement of artificial hip joints.

Contact person milling head:
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Radermacher
Lehrstuhl für Medizintechnik
Helmholtz-Institut für Biomedizinische Technik der Rheinisch-Westfälischen Technischen Hochschule Aachen
Pauwelsstr. 20
52074 Aachen
Tel.: 0241 80-23870
Fax: 0241 80-22872
Email: radermacher@hia.rwth-aachen.de

More information: www.gesundheitsforschung-bmbf.de/de/157.php www.innovationsforum-medizintechnik.de