Assessment and Validation of a Controlled Indentation Probe for Intraoperative Measures of Bone Quality and Humeral Implant Stability

This research seeks to finalize the design of an indentation tool to help shoulder surgeons determine bone density more accurately during joint replacements. Bone density is an important characteristic used to select the type and size of implant needed; and is also related to how stable an implant remains after surgery. Unfortunately, there aren’t tools currently available to shoulder surgeons for determining bone density objectively during surgery. Through a collaboration between Exactech, a shoulder implant manufacturer, and researchers from Western University’s Biomedical Engineering department, an indentation tool design has undergone preliminary testing, and will now be further refined for human tissue by measuring how well the tool’s results relate to bone density and primary implant stability. This collaboration provides researchers with access to commercially available implants for testing and a faster path to market to ensure the proposed tool can eventually be used by surgeons across Canada and beyond.

Faculty Supervisor:

G. Daniel G. Langohr

Student:

Jacob Mackenzie Reeves

Partner:

Exactech, Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering - mechanical

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

Western University