Orthopaedic implants have evolved over the years, from traditional passive devices to dynamic systems capable of real-time monitoring and data analysis. Early smart orthopaedic implants served as investigative tools, providing pioneering measurements of in-vivo joint loads. This information has been instrumental in enhancing orthopaedic treatments and implant designs for improved long-term outcomes. The present focus has shifted to smart orthopaedic implants which detect failure, offer real-time healing progression updates, and monitor patient activity and biomechanics. Future work may involve correlating smart implant data to clinical findings and integrating sensors with miniature actuators to enable implants to adapt to physiological changes.
Smart orthopaedic implants offer potential benefit for patients, physicians, and the scientific community, however there are significant challenges to their widespread integration into the healthcare system. Firstly, current sensors are bulky, with limited long-term accuracy and rely on inductive coupling for power, which is unsuitable for continuous monitoring. Future developments may involve miniature MEMS sensors and energy harvesting techniques for continuous monitoring, reporting and real-time response. Secondly, host implant modifications to accommodate sensors and electronics are technically challenging, expensive and may alter implant properties, potentially compromising performance. Finally, the regulatory framework for smart orthopaedic implants is in its infancy. There is a need to reevaluate how smart orthopaedic implants and personalised data will contribute to decision-making and electronic health records. Furthermore, the implications of using real-world data measured from smart implants as evidence to support regulatory decision making needs to be considered.
This collection in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research and Surgery aims to address the highlighted challenges in smart orthopaedic implants. Researchers, clinicians, engineers, and industry professionals are encouraged to contribute scientific papers on topics including but not limited to:
• Optimal implant performance and longevity of smart orthopaedic implants
• Wireless communication technologies for remote monitoring, data transmission, and patient-doctor interaction
• Biocompatibility, safety and regulatory considerations for the design and implementation of smart orthopaedic implants
• Clinical outcomes and case studies demonstrating the efficacy of smart orthopaedic implants in patient care
• Integration of sensors and actuators for real-time monitoring of implant performance, biomechanics and patient activity
• Ethical and social implications of smart orthopaedic implants, including privacy concerns and patient acceptance.
