PhD Studentship in Silico Development of Titanium Scaffolds for Joint Replacement Duration of Studentship: 36 months
PhD Studentship in Silico Development of Titanium Scaffolds for Joint Replacement
Imperial College London – Department of Materials
Duration of Studentship: 36 months
Applications from Physical Scientists, Engineers or Mathematicians are invited for a PhD Studentship jointly funded by the EPSRC and Stryker for a three year research programme, leading to a PhD degree. This project aims to characterise and understand the osteointegration of a new class of metallic materials, for use in joint replacements. The PhD Student will conduct research in the Department of Materials and is supported by a bursary (currently £18,000 p.a.) and tuition fees.
The use of metals revolutionised orthopaedic surgery almost half a century ago. No other material can support the cyclic loads experienced by bones. However, implant lifetime has remained limited by the metals being too stiff (stress shielding) and lack of fusion between the bone and the implant. Both can lead to loss of bone and failure of the implant. Alternative materials can provide fusion, e.g. hydroxyapatite and other ceramic scaffolds can bond to bone but are brittle. The aim of this proposal is to develop validated simulation tools that allow testing of existing and novel titanium foam scaffolds in silico (i.e. on a computer), rather than using expensive in vivo testing.
This project will focus on porous titanium scaffolds for use in biomedical implants for joint replacement and offer significant advantages for improved bone repair. However, designing an ideal foam structure that matches the physical, biological and mechanical properties of trabecular bone is not straightforward. To do this we propose using high resolution microtomography (both laboratory and synchrotron source) to characterise the structure of both trabecular bone and the open porosity titanium scaffolds, together with traditional histology and microscopy techniques. The student will then develop novel algorithms to quantify the size of the porosity, its interconnectivity, and how this meso-structure affects the mechanical and flow properties of these complex structures.
The student will be based at Imperial College London where they will undertake the majority of the characterisation and model development tasks. However, they will work closely with Stryker (implant manufacturer) at different sites in the UK, the EU research centre in Cork, the US, as well as the University of Liverpool and a UK SME’s that will produce selective laser sintered Ti foams. In the final stages of the project the student will interact with clinicians for in vivo tests to compare results to.
The funding source requires the candidates having been ‘normally resident’ in the UK for the past three years. The PhD prospectus, entry requirements and application form (under ‘apply online’) are available at:
Interested applicants are encouraged to send their CV to Prof. Peter D. Lee, p.d.lee@imperial.ac.uk.
Applications will be processed when received, with the expectation that the studentship will be filled by 15 August 2010 at the latest, for an Oct 2010 start.
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Filed Under: Engineering and Technology • Imperial College London
