Smart Shoulder Implant

Abstract

Disclosed herein are joint implants and methods for tracking joint implant performance. A shoulder implant according to the present disclosure can include a glenoid implant on a first bone and a humeral implant on a second bone of a shoulder. The glenoid implant can include magnetic markers. The humeral implant can include marker readers to provide positional data of the glenoid implant with respect to the humeral implant. The humeral implant can include at least one sensor to measure kinematic data between the glenoid and humeral implants. A processor can be coupled the marker reader and the at least one sensor. The processor can be configured to output the positional data and the kinematic data to an external source.

1 . A shoulder implant comprising:
 a glenoid implant capable of being coupled to a scapula, the glenoid implant including at least one marker, and   a humeral implant capable of being coupled to a humerus and contacting the glenoid implant, the humeral implant including:   at least one marker reader to detect a position of the marker to identify positional data of the glenoid implant with respect to the humeral implant,   at least one sensor to measure kinematic data between the glenoid and humeral implants; and   a processor operatively capable of being communicatively coupled to the marker reader and to the at least one sensor,   wherein the processor can output the positional data and the kinematic data to an external source.   
     
     
         2 . The shoulder implant of  claim 1 , wherein the processor outputs post-operative positional data and post-operative kinematic data to the external source. 
     
     
         3 . The shoulder implant of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one sensor includes an inertial measurement unit. 
     
     
         4 . The shoulder implant of  claim 3 , wherein the marker is a magnet and the marker reader is a magnetic sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The shoulder implant of  claim 4 , wherein the magnetic sensor is a Hall sensor assembly including at least one Hall sensor. 
     
     
         6 . The shoulder implant of  claim 5 , wherein the magnetic sensor includes three Hall sensor assemblies. 
     
     
         7 . The shoulder implant of  claim 6 , wherein the magnet is a magnetic track disposed within the glenoid implant. 
     
     
         8 . The shoulder implant of  claim 7 , wherein the magnet includes two magnetic tracks coupled to each other within the glenoid implant. 
     
     
         9 . The shoulder implant of  claim 1 , wherein the positional data and the kinematic data include any of a flexion-extension, abduction-adduction, internal-external rotation, lift-off and direction vector of the lift-off of a patient's shoulder. 
     
     
         10 . The shoulder implant of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor includes any of a load sensor, pH sensor, temperature sensor and pressure sensor operatively coupled to the processor. 
     
     
         11 . The shoulder implant of  claim 1 , further including a transmitter to transmit the positional data and the kinematic data to an external source. 
     
     
         12 . The shoulder implant of  claim 11 , wherein the external source is any of a tablet, computer, smart phone, and remote workstation. 
     
     
         13 . A method for monitoring a shoulder joint implant performance, the method comprising the steps of:
 coupling a glenoid implant to a first bone of the shoulder joint, the glenoid implant including at least one magnetic marker;   coupling a humeral implant to a second bone of the shoulder joint, the humeral implant contacting the glenoid implant, the humeral implant including at least one magnetic sensor to detect a magnetic flux density of the magnetic marker and at least one sensor to measure kinematic data between the glenoid and humeral implants;   tracking magnetic flux density magnitudes and kinematic data over time using the magnetic sensor and the at least one sensor, and   initiating a warning when any of a tracked magnetic flux density magnitude and kinematic data differ from a predetermined value.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the warning includes any of shoulder dislocation and shoulder impingement. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first bone is a scapula and the second bone is a humerus. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one sensor is an inertial measurement unit. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the positional data and the kinematic data include any of a flexion-extension, abduction-adduction, internal-external rotation, lift-off and direction vector of the lift-off of a patient's shoulder. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the steps of tracking magnetic flux density magnitudes and kinematic data and initiating a warning are performed post-operatively. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , further including a step of transmitting the tracked magnetic flux density magnitudes and kinematic data to an external source. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the tracked magnetic flux density magnitudes and kinematic data is transmitted wirelessly to the external source. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , further including a step of tracking kinematic data measured by an external inertial measurement unit on the patient's body, the external inertial measurement unit being located away from the glenoid implant and the humeral implant.