Contact Force Sensor for Knee
Problem statement
With total and partial knee replacements being some of the most common orthopedic surgeries in the world [1], for many patients younger than 60, it’s also not their last surgery. Up to 30% of people need a secondary revision surgery after a partial or total knee replacement, causing unnecessary medical bills and more recovery time for the patient [2]. While knee replacements have been performed for years, the process has not been perfected. During the surgery, there are standard sized implants that are placed on the back of the patella and tested to see if they fit. This can lengthen the surgery which adds more room for error. On top of that, there can be many complications for the patient after surgery if any of the prosthetics are not aligned correctly according to the patient’s own anatomy. This can leave patients with unnecessary knee pain which can make everyday tasks difficult and restrict them from doing their favorite hobbies. Currently, there is no product in the medical field to help surgeons be more accurate during surgery. The goal of our research is to continue to develop the previous team’s work on a sensor that can be inserted on the patella during a surgery which can then measure the contact forces in the patellofemoral joint to help surgeons place each prosthetic correctly. The previous team has created a model, but the design must be improved and testing through simulations must be done before a working sensor can be produced. Successful creation of a working sensor, however, should reduce human error during surgery and therefore reduce the postoperative complications that patients will have. Sources: [1] T. O. Clinic, “The Top 10 Most Common Orthopedic Surgeries,” The Orthopedic Clinic, Jun. 14, 2018. https://orthotoc.com/common-orthopedic-surgeries/ (accessed Sep. 23, 2022). [2] L. Szabo, “Up To A Third Of Knee Replacements Pack Pain And Regret,” Kaiser Health News, Dec. 25, 2018. https://khn.org/news/up-to-a-third-of-knee-replacements-pack-pain-and-regret/ (accessed Sep. 23, 2022).
Team members
Andrew DeBruin – leader
Daniel Neerdaels – communicator
Jake Moen – accountant
Noah Sydow – admin
Client
Dr. Josh Roth, UW-Madison