The use of artificial intelligence technology and computer-aided design and manufacturing for the design and analysis of custom joint prostheses fabricated on demand for specific patients has been explored. A description is given of the ORTHO-PERT system, an orthopedic healthcare workstation developed for this purpose, focusing on its architecture and unique features. It is the stress and the strain field created by the implant itself that controls the remodeling of the bony tissue around a bioinert implant; the objective has been to create an automated design and manufacturing system that incorporates such knowledge. An expert system for interpretation of forces on hip prosthesis has been implemented. This system known as FEMEX (finite-element-method expert) prepares the basic FEM model for proposed hip prosthesis design. The results of the FEM analysis are heuristically interpreted, and conclusions are drawn and provided to the host expert system.
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