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Article: The fault line of success and failure: coatings and surface treatments are seen as the keys to implant longevity. But can they deliver?(FEATURE: SURFACE MODIFICATION)
- Article from:
- Orthopedic Design & Technology
- Article date:
- May 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Rodman Publishing. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Total joint replacement (TJR) is one of the biggest success stories in recent medical history. A brief generation ago, patients with severe joint arthritis simply had to accept a future of increasing inflammation and dwindling mobility. Now, thanks to artificial joints, millions of patients throughout the world live happier, more active lives, free from debilitating pain. And the industries and medical personnel who provide these devices are enjoying well-deserved success.
Yet beneath all the congratulatory back slapping and marveling at last quarter's profits, a gnawing truth persists. For all their success, total hip and knee replacements--by far the most ...