Assessment of Embedded Conjugated Polymer Sensor Arrays for Potential Load Transmission Measurement in Orthopaedic Implants

Load transfer through orthopaedic joint implants is poorly understood. The longer-term outcomes of these implants are just starting to be studied, making it imperative to monitor contact loads across the entire joint implant interface to elucidate the force transmission and distribution mechanisms e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2017-11, Vol.17 (12), p.2768
Main Authors: Micolini, Carolina, Holness, Frederick Benjamin, Johnson, James A, Price, Aaron David
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
conjugated polymers
Contact loads
Force distribution
Implants
In vitro methods and tests
intrinsically conductive polymers
Linearity
Load transfer
Orthopaedic implants
orthopaedic joint implants
piezoresistance
polyaniline
Polyanilines
Polymers
Pressure sensors
reverse total shoulder arthroplasty
sensing array
Sensor arrays
Sensors
Smart sensors
Stress concentration
Transplants & implants
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Summary:Load transfer through orthopaedic joint implants is poorly understood. The longer-term outcomes of these implants are just starting to be studied, making it imperative to monitor contact loads across the entire joint implant interface to elucidate the force transmission and distribution mechanisms exhibited by these implants in service. This study proposes and demonstrates the design, implementation, and characterization of a 3D-printed smart polymer sensor array using conductive polyaniline (PANI) structures embedded within a polymeric parent phase. The piezoresistive characteristics of PANI were investigated to characterize the sensing behaviour inherent to these embedded pressure sensor arrays, including the experimental determination of the stable response of PANI to continuous loading, stability throughout the course of loading and unloading cycles, and finally sensor repeatability and linearity in response to incremental loading cycles. This specially developed multi-material additive manufacturing process for PANI is shown be an attractive approach for the fabrication of implant components having embedded smart-polymer sensors, which could ultimately be employed for the measurement and analysis of joint loads in orthopaedic implants for in vitro testing.
ISSN:1424-8220
1424-8220
DOI:10.3390/s17122768