BIOMEDICAL: Hydroxyapatite coating could prevent premature failure of hip implants

摘要

A multilayer hydroxyapatite coating for implants that could help them better adhere to the patient's bone, preventing premature failure, has been developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, USA. Every year, more than a million people receive an artificial hip or knee prosthesis in the USA alone. These ceramic or metal implants are designed to last many years, but in about 17% of patients who receive a total joint replacement, the implant eventually loosens and has to be replaced early, which can cause dangerous complications for elderly patients.