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meet Freida Pinto
Many of us go through our lives fortunate enough to pay no mind to our ability to thrive in a physically demanding world. This privilege poses as no inconvenience to us as we go about our day to day routines. in the field of biomedical engineering, our goal is to make this possible for each individual, including patients such as Freida Pinto.
Riddled with constant aching, flu-like symptoms and a loss of muscle function, Freida was unfortunately held back in her childhood. Having grown up in a developing country in the 1940s, alongside the atrophy of her shorter left leg, all signs point in the direction of Poliovirus.
As time progressed, Mrs. Pinto found herself looking back at a lifetime of using crutches. Having previously fractured her left tibia, Freida’s body restricts her from pursuing a desired active lifestyle. But when pain becomes too severe and medication gets the job done, it’s more than clear that crutches aren’t enough.
This opens the door for improvement. In taking up this opportunity, we’re given the chance to design a hip replacement that minimizes pain and improves motor functionality.
To live up to our goal in the field of biomedical engineering, our design allows for Freida Pinto to reach her potential and, in fact, thrive in a physically demanding world.
Milestone 1: Patient Diagnosis
Symptoms:
- pain in left leg
- Nausea, Fever, Headaches as a child
- Some muscle strength loss
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Imaging Indicators:
- Left leg 4cm shorter than right leg
- Fat Interposed inside muscle
- fragmentation at hip joint
- Shallow Acetabulum
- Degeneration of sacroiliac joint. Gas present between sacrum and iliac, which is caused by bacteria and thus induces degeneration.
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Previous Medications/Doctor Visits:
- Has been prescribed pain killers; ineffective
- OTC Painkillers - Naproxen (22o mg, as needed)
- 10 mg oxycodone per day
- Previous fracture of left tibia
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Miscellaneous Notes:
- uses crutches to move
- moderate/severe limitations by hip pain
- Born healthy, but grew up in a developing country in the 1940s/1950s
- Aims to be active; lives independently despite limitations
- Symptoms began in childhood
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Final Diagnosis:
- PolioVirus
Milestone 2
Refined Concept Sketch
Main Design Features...
Cemented Stem
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- Thin, tapered, with ridges for stability
- Flared head of the stem
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Non-cemented acetabular implant
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- Wraps around anterior inferior iliac spine
- Contains a ridge on the inside to mate with the ilium
- Secures to the ilium with screws
Group Discussion
- THA will improve hip-joint mobility and reduce pain/discomfort
- Cemented stem will fit more securely into the femur especially considering the existing osteopenia
- Extended acetabular implant will give more secure fit and compensates for smaller, weaker hip
- Tapered stem with ridges allows for better pressurization of cement during implantation as the ridges provide extra support
- Micro-silver bone cement will help post-operative infection
- Calcium coated acetabular implant will encourage osseointegration with screws to secure the implant during bone growth
Pros Cons
- Does not compensate for leg length difference
- Hard to accurately mate acetabular implant and ilium
- the need to cut a groove in the weak ilium may cause damage to ilium (necessary for osseointegration since it provides an exact site for the bone and implant to meet)
In Relation to Need Statement:
- the pros of the design meet the need statement in that it provides a range of movement for the patient while minimizing pain
Milestone 3: Preliminary Design Analysis
