Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English en
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Customized porous structures and advanced testing for orthopedic implants

Project description

A helping hand for shoulder implants

The number of shoulder replacements is expected to increase by up to 400 % between 2020 to 2040. Unfortunately, 10 % of these implants fail within the first ten years due to soft tissue failure, infection, and loosening. To prevent a similar surge in revision surgeries, future implants must effectively address these issues. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the CUSTOM project will provide an overview of emerging medical device technologies, focusing on the major failure mechanisms of existing shoulder implants and enhancing their functionality and longevity. The project will develop patient-specific designs using additive manufacturing and in silico simulations to simplify certification, while training future researchers to create innovative orthopaedic implants.

Objective

The number of shoulder replacements is projected to increase by 300-400% between 2020 and 2040. With the current technology, 10% of those artificial shoulder implants will fail within the first 10 years of service, mainly due to soft tissue failure, infection, and implant loosening. The specific type and timescale of failure depends on the type of implant, patient age, and other patient specific metrics, but to avoid a similar exponential increase in revision surgeries, the next generation of implants must mitigate the known failure mechanisms.

CUSTOM brings together all relevant academic and industrial expertise that enables a concept to clinical overview of emerging medical device technologies, and applies them to the shoulder implant as a use case. CUSTOM focuses on combining (1) computational tools that allow patient-specific design, (2) additive manufacturing to realize the custom, complex designs and structures and their further postprocessing to incorporate multi-functionality, and (3) blended in-silico and experimental testing to reduce the burden on experimental testing for certification. In doing so, CUSTOM can address the major failure mechanisms of current shoulder implants and improve their overall functionality and longevity.

The project leverages this research as a tool to train the next generation of researchers in the necessary technical skills on design, manufacturing, testing, and certification. CUSTOM connects the researchers to all relevant stakeholders including surgeons, patients, researchers, as well as certification and regulation bodies, and combines it with soft skill training to develop transferable and entrepreneurial skills that are required to translate their research and ideas into the next generation of orthopaedic implants.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN - HORIZON TMA MSCA Doctoral Networks

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN
Net EU contribution
€ 1 009 890,00
Address
OUDE MARKT 13
3000 Leuven
Belgium
Region
Vlaams Gewest Prov. Vlaams-Brabant Arr. Leuven
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
No data

Participants (5)

Partners (12)