A new study presented at the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) 2012 Annual Meeting, San Francisco, Calif, highlights a newly developed sensor that can be placed into orthopedic devices and may improve efficiency of and add cost-effectiveness to post-surgical diagnosis and follow-ups. Researchers report that the orthopaedic implant acts as a carrier for the small sensor.

The sensor is, “very small, (4 millimeters diameter and 500 microns thick), is wireless, battery less, and requires no telemetry within the body,” Eric H. Ledet, PhD, assistant professor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, explains. According to an ORS news release, the wireless sensor can monitor load, strain, motion, temperature, and pressure in the in vivo environment. Additionally, the sensor can be customized for integration into a diverse range of implants, Rebecca A. Wachs, MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, says.

Ledet highlights the device’s benefits, “For the patient that is progressing well, the information from the sensor enables the physician to determine that the patient can return to work without risk of injury. The number of lost days at work is reduced,” Ledet says. The ORS adds that the device may also help alert the physician to potential problems, indicating that additional interventions may be needed.

The sensor provides opportunities to tailor treatment for an individual patient based upon objective and quantitative measures, Ledet notes. Researchers report that the sensor is currently being manually produced, but that they anticipate that it may be eventually mass-produced in the future.

Source: ORS