Basic Science Symposium II: MEMS Technology

For a long time surgeons and basic scientists have been working together in developing instrumentation to restore function across a diseased human joint. In the quest to achieve their objectives during this long journey, they have developed analytical and experimental methods to quantify various parameters across a normal and a diseased joint, like the hip joint. For example, back in the late 80s and early 90s, using crude (from today’s perspective) sensor technology, a number of researchers quantified the forces across the hip after total hip arthroplasty. The findings helped the joint replacement industry in several ways including validating the analytical models, contributing to the design of implants that will last longer (hopefully for the life span of the patient), and establishing guidelines for exercise in the immediate postoperative time period. All these results have led to hip arthroplasty improvements to the point that it has become the gold standard for all other joint replacement systems. It is not a surprise that spine surgeons and engineers, with the exponential growth of the bioMEMS technology in the last 5 years, are looking into ways this technology can be used in the area of spine.