Description du sujet de thèse

Bone implants are commonly used in orthopedic surgery, for example in procedures such as total shoulder arthroplasty. These implants are impacted to fit into a slightly undersized bone cavity, which ensures their primary stability, which is an important factor for surgical success since it reduces the risk of aseptic loosening. In addition, it is important to maximize the amount of bone in contact with the implant. However, empirical approaches are still implemented by clinicians to ensure the positioning of such implant in the bone tissue. In addition, implant manufacturers often rely on empirical approaches for the design of these medical devices. It remains difficult to understand the phenomena determining the positioning of the implant in the host bone due to the complexity of the bone tissue and of the bone-implant interface where friction and adhesion phenomena occur.
We have developed a new acoustic method to determine the stability of orthopedic implants. This method is based on the use of an instrumented hammer during the impacts that are made during the insertion of the implants. This method is sensitive to the bone-implant interface, which is the only relevant criterion for surgical success. Our approach, perfectly safe for patients, has been the subject of a proof of concept ex vivo and in anatomical subjects.
Based on the tools already developed in the laboratory, the objective of the work is to better understand the phenomena involved when implementing the method in order to improve it and validate it clinically. The work will consist in continuing the development and industrialization of the available prototypes to adapt them to the configurations of interest. To do this, the candidate will have to implement innovative experimental approaches as well as advanced simulation tools using acoustic modeling and artificial intelligence type techniques.

Contexte de travail

This work will be carried out within the framework of a team made up of about fifteen people and in connection with our subcontractors and with the clinicians of the de l'Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale (IMRB U955 INSERM). A strong collaboration with the start-up company ImpacTell is planned. The candidate will also carry out biomechanical, acoustic and histological analyses. In addition, design, modeling and numerical simulation work will be necessary to better understand the phenomena involved.

Contraintes et risques

N/A

Informations complémentaires

You have an engineering degree in the field of mechanics, electronics, acoustics or biomechanics. Your dynamism, your rigor, your sense of listening, and your adaptability will make the difference. Coming from a multidisciplinary training, you have good skills in mechanical design, electronics, acoustics, imaging, signal processing. You also have an appetite for the field of biotechnology, even if skills in this field are not essential.