New Coating for Hip Implants Could Prevent Premature Failure, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Study

Nanoscale films developed at MIT promote bone growth, creating a stronger seal between implants and patients' own bone. Every year, more than a million Americans receive an artificial hip or knee prosthesis. Such implants are designed to last many years, but in about 17 percent of patients who receive a total joint replacement, the implant eventually loosens and has to be replaced early, which can cause dangerous complications for elderly patients.