According to the Federal Statistical Office, operations for an artificial joint replacement of the hip (hip endoprosthesis) were one of the seven most common procedures in Germany in 2022. When a cementless endoprosthesis is implanted, it is hammered into the minimally prepared medullary cavity so that it can clamp mechanically. An experienced surgeon can estimate the moment of the best possible stability to guarantee an optimal fit of the implant without damaging the bone simply by the sound of the implantation impact.
In this GO-Bio initial exploratory project, an AI-supported software was designed which, on the one hand, acts as a surgical monitoring system based on acoustic signals to signal the time of optimal strength to the surgeon and, on the other hand, supports innovative implantation robotics. The prototype developed will soon be tested in clinical trials as part of a follow-up grant. A spin-off is also being prepared.