The first total hip replacement using a joint socket lined with a novel material have been performed by surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).

The novel material is an advance over first-generation highly crosslinked polyethylene (developed at MGH) significantly reduced a serious complication of early hip implants and can be applied in replacements for a wider variety of joints in a more diverse group of patients.

According to Orhun Muratoglu, PhD, co-director of the Harris Orthopædics Biomechanics and Biomaterials Laboratory (OBBL) at MGH, who developed the new material in collaboration with scientists at the Cambridge Polymer Group:

"We think this material could be used for any joint in the body and in any implant design, even those demanding higher flexion and more mobility."

Says Andrew A. Freiberg, MD, chief of the Arthoplasty Service in the MGH Department of Orthopædics, who performed the first implant with the new material:

"This material will allow us to offer our patients very long-term, high-performance joint replacements. It should be suitable for higher-stress applications in younger patients, those who are more active and those who are heavier."

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