LED and camera system could cut limping and discomfort; Fraunhofer-led team shows system at Medtec expo.
| When a patient receives a new hip, it is usually adjusted only approximately to leg length. Greater accuracy requires a more precise measuring process as well as adjustable implants.Now, a new type of measurement method coupled with a modular implant should allow orthopedic surgeons to precisely calibrate leg length after the operation so it matches its original length. The researchers will be presenting their development at the Medtec expo in Stuttgart, Germany, between April 21-23.
Currently, orthopedic surgeons have no suitable method for precisely measuring leg length before the operation or for adjusting the implants accordingly. The result is that after the operation, the leg can actually be longer or shorter than it used to be. This leads to problems with the spine, which have to be resolved using shoe inserts. A new measuring technique developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU, will allow orthopedic surgeons to measure their patients’ leg lengths much more precisely. The Fraunhofer researchers collaborated on the new system with several project partners: the Clinic for Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery and Plastic Surgery at the Leipzig University Hospital; University of Applied Sciences Zwickau and its Research and Transfer Centre; AQ Implants; and MSB-Orthopädie-Technik. |
