Piezoresistive sensors for force mapping of hip-prostheses

The success of artificial prosthetic replacements depends on the fixation of the artificial prosthetic component after being implanted in the thighbone. The materials for fixation are subject to mechanical stresses, which originate permanent deformations, incipient cracks and even fatigue fractures. This work shows the possibility of monitoring the mechanical stress over time in prosthesis. In this way, highly sensitive silicon thin-film piezoresistive sensors were developed attached to prosthesis and their results compared with commercial strain gauge sensors. Mechanical stress-strain experiments were performed in compressive mode, during 10,000 cycles. Experimental data was acquired at mechanical vibration frequencies of 0.5 Hz, 1 Hz and 5 Hz, and sent to a computer by means of a wireless link. The results show that there is a decrease in sensitivity of the thin-film silicon piezoresistive sensors when they are attached to the prosthesis, but this decrease does not compromise its monitoring performance. The sensitivity, compared to that of commercial strain gauges, is much larger due to their higher gauge factors (-23.5), when compared to the GFs of commercial sensors (2).

This work is funded by FEDER funds through the "Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade – COMPETE" and by national funds arranged by FCT- Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, project references NANO/NMed-SD/0156/2007, PTDC/CTM/73030/2006 and PTDC/CTM/69316/2006. The authors also thank support from the COST Action MP1003, 2010 ‘European Scientific Network for Artificial Muscles’. VS, VC and MSM thank the FCT for the SFRH/BPD/63148/2009, SFRH/BD/48708/2008 and SFRH/BD/60713/2009 grants, respectively. CR thanks the IINL for a financial support via a PhD.