TIMed CENTER Center for Technological Innovation in Medicine

Research Projects

ArthroKnee

Result: Combination of Micro-CT and x-ray-photographs of patients with arthrosis to generate individualized knee-models in 3D.


The life expectancy of the population increases on a global scale - and so does the number of people suffering from gonarthrosis.  If it is not possible to cure this degenerative degradation of the articular cartilage and bone in the knee joint with other forms of treatment, the last option is a knee replacement surgery. The morphology and microstructure of the knee joint differs from patient to patient, however. At the moment,unfortunately, clinical diagnosis is mainly based on radiological findings that neglect the three-dimensional architecture and microstructure of the knee joint.

The research group that worked on the project ArthroKnee investigated osteoarthritic degenerations in bone and cartilage samples using X-rays and micro-computed tomography. Samples were collected from osteoarthritis patients that underwent a knee replacement surgery. Thanks to its efforts, new information on the microstructure at the interface between bone and implant could be generated. This data serves as basis for the development of improved implant design and fixation concepts.

The project results concerning osteoarthritic microstructure, geometry and biomechanics were integrated in the database of a special software solution. This software offers a comparative data set for the radiographic evaluation of osteoarthritic damage in new patients to support the clinical evaluation and treatment of the disease, e.g. in relation to cartilage thickness. The software includes three-dimensional information of each data set hence representing an invaluable data source for the development of optimized implants, e.g. in terms of surface microstructural-properties and geometry. 

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