The application of impantable sensors in the musculoskeletal system: a review

Jinzuo Wang; Jian Chu; Jinhui Song; Zhonghai Li

doi:10.3389/fbioe.2024.1270237

The application of impantable sensors in the musculoskeletal system: a review

Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2024 Jan 24:12:1270237. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1270237. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Jinzuo Wang^{1

2}, Jian Chu³, Jinhui Song³, Zhonghai Li^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopaedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
² Key Laboratory of Molecular Mechanism for Repair and Remodeling of Orthopaedic Diseases, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
³ Department of Engineering Mechanics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China.

Abstract

As the population ages and the incidence of traumatic events rises, there is a growing trend toward the implantation of devices to replace damaged or degenerated tissues in the body. In orthopedic applications, some implants are equipped with sensors to measure internal data and monitor the status of the implant. In recent years, several multi-functional implants have been developed that the clinician can externally control using a smart device. Experts anticipate that these versatile implants could pave the way for the next-generation of technological advancements. This paper provides an introduction to implantable sensors and is structured into three parts. The first section categorizes existing implantable sensors based on their working principles and provides detailed illustrations with examples. The second section introduces the most common materials used in implantable sensors, divided into rigid and flexible materials according to their properties. The third section is the focal point of this article, with implantable orthopedic sensors being classified as joint, spine, or fracture, based on different practical scenarios. The aim of this review is to introduce various implantable orthopedic sensors, compare their different characteristics, and outline the future direction of their development and application.

Keywords: flexible material; fracture; hip; implantable sensor; joint; knee; spine.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was supported by the Science and Technology Innovation Foundation of Dalian (2022JJ12SN045), the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province (2022-MS-322). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.