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Article: Advancements in Orthopedic Hip Replacement Design.
- Article from:
- Medical Equipment Designer
- Article date:
- January 1, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 Nelson 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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Arthritis is a debilitating joint disease that afflicts nearly 400 million people in the United States and millions more worldwide, offering a significant market to medical device design engineers. Arthritis refers to a type of joint inflammation -- the body's response to an insult, whether in the form of injury, disease, a metabolic condition such as gout or a nutritional problem.
It is easy to imagine how a normal hip, which is exposed to the impact from one million steps a year in daily activities, can become worn over a lifetime of use. Arthritis of the hip, like that of other joints, is the painful inflammation and resulting erosion of the smooth surfaces ...