According to the World Health Organization, the number of hip joint diseases and injuries is growing with increasing life expectancy. Most manufacturers use metal for hip replacement; however, the significant difference in the hardness of the cortical bone and the implant material can cause the endoprosthesis to loosen, which may require hip revision surgery after 5-10 years. A group from Perm Polytechnic University has explored a unidirectional composite material with properties similar to human bone and improved the prosthesis making it more wear-resistant.
Their study was published in the Journal of Machinery Manufacture and Reliability 2021.
An artificial joint consists of a stem and a ball. The bone prosthesis element is made of a fibrous composite material with carbon fiber in the form of a reinforcing substance and phenol-formaldehyde resin as a binder. The other part is made of titanium. The ball is installed with tension on the cone surface of the stem. The team proposed a computer simulation of the stress–strain state of the implant made of a carbon–carbon composite material in an elastic medium.
The research was financed by Tactical Missiles Corporation and private investors. The invention was recognized as a priority project in the Ural city of Nytva, where composite products for medical purposes will be manufactured.