Bone Replacement

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There are many causes for needing a bone replaced, a common one being arthritis. The hip and knee are both effective bones in the body when uncompromised by osteoarthritis because they are structurally designed to manage stress from loading in effective ways. In hip and knee replacement surgery, common surgeries, there are advantages and disadvantages relating to recovery time and lasting bone health. By examining the structure and functionality of the knee and hip with an emphasis on artificial bone, researchers are continuing to expand upon the field of bone replacement surgery.

Arthritis
Lubricin, encoded for by the PRG4 gene is a glycoprotein in cartilage and is plays a major role in lubrication and wear protection of cartilage. A mutation in this gene may cause the autosomal recessive disorder camptodactyly-arthropathy-coxa vara-pericarditis syndrome (CACP). Cartilage is a common denominator when it comes to knee and hip replacement surgeries. A flexible, connective tissue, cartilage is found in many places and Cartilage has a limited ability to repair itself so once it has been damaged it is difficult to recover. Cartilage displays viscoelastic properties, meaning that it is both viscous and elastic and these properties are what help the cartilage to maintain the smooth gliding motion between joints. Bone on bone grinding happens when damage has occurred to the cartilage. This grinding causes inflammation, joint stiffness, and pain. This phenomenon is known as arthritis.
Factors that can enforce or inhibit the affects of arthritis are diet, bodyweight, and exercise. All three of these factors go well together because through a balanced diet and adequate exercise an optimal bodyweight may be achieved under normal circums...

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... bone to ease the process of bone replacement surgeries to reach that next step. The research conducted recently with wood, sea ice, styrofoam, and the inkjet printer are not currently being used to replace entire bones. These items are not thought to be used for years to come, however, advancing to this level of recreation of human bone is forward progress for replacement surgeries.
Arthritis is a common thing in older individuals to acquire, especially in the hip and knee. These discoveries may lead to safer and more cost effective ways to replace bone after it has been compromised by things such as arthritis. Logically, it would be advantageous to create a structure with structure and properties similar to that of human bone to replace human bone. Recreating human bone is the next step in the timeline of artificial bone’s role in artificial bone replacement.

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