SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — A software grant that could lead to orthopedic surgeons being able to immediately gauge the effectiveness of implanted joints has been announced by LifeModeler, Inc. The company, a leading global provider of biomechanical human body simulation tools and services, will provide $400,000 of software and services to InMotion Musculoskeletal Institute and the University of Memphis, Memphis, Tenn. The LifeMOD(R) grant will help the scientific staff at InMotion create kinematic models that will aid in the development of tools allowing surgeons to immediately test the fit of implanted devices such as knees, hips and spinal correction. Together, there were more than 900,000 such surgeries in the U.S. last year.
According to Dr. John Williams, director of biomechanics at InMotion and professor at the U of M Department of Biomedical Engineering, “This software could be developed to give nearly real-time data on how the implant will move in the body under different conditions like walking, climbing stairs and even playing golf.”
Williams, and Dr. William Mihalko, the non-profit orthopedic laboratory’s director of reconstructive research and orthopedic surgeon with the Campbell Clinic in Memphis, will define data sets based on clinical evaluations of soft tissues such as tendons and muscles surrounding the knee. Their work will supplement LifeMOD’s “virtual” measures of soft tissue characteristics with data on actual, living tissue measured safely during surgery.
Surgeons normally must wait for post-operative recovery to evaluate in detail the full effectiveness of implant procedures. The potential for increasing patient mobility is greatly enhanced if surgeons receive real-time data during the procedure.
“The software doesn’t make decisions for the surgeon, but it does give potentially vital information to the surgeon to adjust the fit of the implant during surgery,” said Williams.
LifeModeler, Inc. has become the foremost provider of software used to perform “virtual prototyping,” essentially evaluating new product concepts in a validated, computer model of a human body. While used extensively in the orthopedic joint replacement community, it is also applied regularly in the automotive, aerospace, and sporting goods industries.
Shawn McGuan, CEO of LifeModeler, Inc., said the company is “continually seeking to find new ways for LifeMOD to be implemented in the medical community, and the research being done by InMotion will ultimately be a significant benefit to hundreds of thousands of patients.”
LifeModeler, Inc. can be contacted at 949-366-6829, and additional information on the company and its products can be found at www.lifemodeler.com. Information regarding InMotion Musculoskeletal Institute can be obtained by calling 901-271-0022, or at www.inmotionmemphis.org.
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