The success of orthopaedic joint replacement surgery depends on the skill of the surgeon in making precise bone cuts and fitting the implant to the patient's bone. In hip replacement surgery, the proximal femur currently is manually broached prior to implant insertion. However, precision fit is difficult to achieve with manual instrumentation, and manual methods lengthen the operative time and induce surgeon fatigue. This project proposes to develop power broach instrumentation for the proximal femur, to precisely shape the bone and allow a 1:1 fit with the implant. A prototype of the concept has been developed; this project will (i) validate broach design concept, (2) define the requirement for power insertion, and (3) quantify the improvement in fit as compared with current manual techniques.
