Correct positioning of the acetabular cup is critical for success within TotalHip Arthroplasty. Malpositioning of the acetabular cup contributes to manycomplications, all of which lead to revision surgery. Despite recognition of theimportance of correct orientation, there is no consensus on what the optimumorientation of the acetabular cup should be. The suggested orientations in theliterature are contradictory and comparison between studies is difficult due tovariations in angle definitions, measurement systems and reference systems. Thesecontradictions, the lack of consensus in the literature and results from studiessuggest that acetabular orientation must be patient specific.Mechanical guides are the most commonly used device to assist surgeons inpositioning the acetabular cup, both in cemented and uncemented arthroplasties.However, these devices have many limitations one of which is a fixed acetabularorientation which does not allow for any patient variability.Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative product designtechniques, Harrison User Centred Methodology was developed. This newmethodology was adopted to design and develop a device to aid surgeons withpositioning the acetabular cup in total hip arthroplasty. The aim was to design adevice which could be used for both cemented and uncemented hip arthroplasty.The final device design was a novel positioning guide which addressed the lack ofpatient variability in current mechanical guides. The device simplified the positioningand limited the movement of the introducer. Feedback from surgeons demonstrateda positive response and with further development, a willingness to try the product.Proof of concept testing was carried out to measure the accuracy of thedevice. An available (uncemented) introducer was used for testing whichdemonstrated the device can accurately position the acetabular cup. The accuracyof the developed device and current techniques was compared. The study showedless variation in the position over time using the novel device which highlights anadded benefit for cemented procedures demonstrating stability as the cement cures.
| Date of Award | 7 Jun 2016 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Awarding Institution | - University Of Strathclyde
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| Sponsors | EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) |
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