JOINT EFFORT: The Frank H. Stelling and C. Dayton Riddle Orthopaedic Research and Education Laboratory, where John DesJardins and colleagues investigate implant design, function, and longevity CRAIG MAHAFFEY
Some people drive more aggressively than others,” says bioengineer John DesJardins. But he’s not talking about cars; rather, he’s referring to artificial joints. As director of the orthopedic design and engineering lab at South Carolina’s Clemson University, he spends much of his time inspecting plastic and metal knee, hip, and shoulder replacements worn out by the reckless “driving” that is human locomotion.
More than 800,000 joints are now replaced each year in the United States, and DesJardins estimates that 90 percent of these surgeries go off without a hitch, and are still functional 10 years after surgery. However, the remaining 10 percent of artificial joints need to be replaced within that time period. These are the artificial joints that grab his attention. Since 2007, DesJardins ...
