Engineering Biological Interfaces to Enhance Prosthetic Integration
Abstract
The decline in battlefield mortality driven by advances in body armor technology has resulted in a concomitant increase in injuries to extremities requiring the use of prosthetics. A main limitation in deployment of prosthetic technology is the integration of the prosthetic device into the body. Using current procedures, effective prosthetic integration often requires 18 months and multiple surgeries. The proposed solution to this problem involves merging tissue engineering and medical imaging technology to directly implant a prosthetic interface that will rapidly and securely integrate with surrounding bone and soft tissue. Through controlled placement of appropriate cells, signaling factors, and scaffold materials, this process will enable the generation of multi-component implants that include a prosthetic interface. The grand vision for such technology is the widespread deployment of tissue implants that use CT or MRI scans and robot-assisted surgery to guide the direct in vivo generation of composite implants that provide a secure interface for any prosthetic device desired. This will provide a more functional prosthetic interface in a shorter time and enable the more rapid development and deployment of advanced prosthetic devices.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 17, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA476602
Entities
People
- Lawrence Bonnassar
Organizations
- Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering