Computer-aided manufacture of individual endoprostheses. Preliminary communication.

ABSTRACT

Long-term anchorage of foreign material in vital bone has proven to be the main problem in endoprosthetics. In the authors' opinion, modelling an endoprosthetic anchorage component to the individual anatomic needs is, at present, the best way to transmit stresses harmoniously from the prosthesis to the sensitive bone, in order to utilize functional adaptation, and to guarantee long-term function. The production of a true-to-scale joint model is possible with computer-assisted tomography. This model of the joint or bone canal can be used to construct an individual endoprosthesis prior to surgery. A procedure described.