Orthopedic implants help improve the lives of millions of people. They help in the treatment and/or management of broken or damaged bones, traumatic injuries, musculoskeletal deformities, chronic pain, or age-related wear and tear. Orthopedic implants are used by surgeons to restore function and/or ensure improved stability, mobility, and flexibility in patients. 

What exactly are orthopedic implants? What are the different types and uses of each of these types of implants? Keep reading to find out. 

What are Orthopedic Implants? 

Orthopedic implants are medical devices designed to fix, treat, replace, or support damaged, diseased, broken, or deformed bones, joints, and cartilage in the musculoskeletal system. These implants enable patients to gain better stability, movement, and flexibility. They help in restoring function to affected body parts. Overall, these implants improve the quality of life of patients. 

Orthopedic implants are typically made using surgery-grade titanium, stainless steel, or performance polymers such as PEEK, cobalt alloys, or ceramics. These materials are chosen as they

  • ensure greater strength, stability, and durability.
  • do not break under the weight of the body or bone. 
  • are corrosion-resistant and biocompatible. 

When Are Orthopedic Implants Used? 

Trauma: When a patient loses functionality or has a damaged bone, cartilage, or joint due to trauma (accidents, falls, injuries, etc.), the surgeon will use orthopedic implants to fix the problem. In some cases, non-surgical treatments and medications may suffice. These implants fix the broken/ damaged bones and enable the bone to heal, grow, and strengthen over time.  

Pain Management: Patients may experience acute or chronic pain in their hip, knee, shoulder, elbow, wrists, etc. from overuse of the joints as in the case of athletes, drivers, or those involved in heavy physical labor. It may result from wear and tear, as in the case of the aging population, obese individuals, etc. Typically, orthopedic surgeons will prescribe medications, non-surgical treatments, and/or pain management, where possible, to treat chronic or acute pain. When these non-surgical treatments don’t work, they will use orthopedic implants to surgically treat the problem. 

Deformities: Orthopedic implants are used for fixing deformities in the musculoskeletal system. 

Disability: When a patient has lost a limb or damaged a bone owing to an accident/ injury or has a congenital disability, surgeons use orthopedic implants to replace missing/ damaged bones/ joints/ cartilage. This will offer/ restore functionality. 

Different Types of Orthopedic Implants 

Permanent vs Temporary Orthopedic Implants 

Orthopedic implants are broadly divided into two categories: 

  • Permanent implants or replacements are those orthopedic implants that are meant to stay in the patient’s body indefinitely. They provide long-term stability and support while restoring functionality to the affected body part and improving the patient’s quality of life. These implants are necessary in cases where the patient has a congenital disability or a damaged bone/joint that cannot be properly restored/ repaired through other means. These implants are meant for the hip, shoulder, knee, ankles, elbows, wrists, and joints, typically used in replacement and fusion procedures. 
  • Temporary implants or replacements are those orthopedic implants that are meant for temporary use to provide support and stabilize the affected area either till the bone/joint/ cartilage heals and grows or until a more permanent treatment can be performed. These implants need to be removed at a later stage or replaced with a definitive implant/ treatment. Plates, screws, pins, staples, wires, etc. typically fall under this category. Temporary implants are used in: 
  • fracture fixations.
  • realignment procedures.
  • spacer implants (for temporary replacement of joints or prostheses that are infected or for localized treatment, etc.)
  • corrective osteotomies, etc. 

Common Types of Orthopedic Implants

Plates 

Plates are designed to treat and fix fractured/ damaged/ weakened bones, providing strength and stability. Effective orthopedic plates must be of appropriate shape, length, thickness, and width to effectively hold the sides of the bones together and help treat/fix the condition properly. 

Uses of Plates: 

  • Plates are used in fixing fractures, treatment of certain bone conditions, reconstruction/ correction of bones and bone deformities, etc. 
  • They provide strength and stability to the patient as their bones heal and grow when used as temporary solutions. 
  • They are used as both permanent solutions and temporary solutions based on the patient’s condition and need. 
  • They effectively control, neutralize, and manage all forces acting on the fractured/ damaged/ weakened bone such as bending, compression, etc. 
  • Plates are used in places such as the tibia, femur, knee, ankle, etc. 

Types of Plates: 

  • Buttress Plates, typically used at the end of long bones such as the knee and ankle, are used to hold fractures together and prevent large compressive or distorting forces. They are designed and contoured to ensure that they move with the body and are usually T-shaped or L-shaped. 
  • Neutralization Plates are used to secure and stabilize the expanse of the fractured area by balancing other orthopedic implants and load-enabling screws used.
  • Bridging Plates perform the dual function of providing length and alignment while stabilizing the area and promoting secondary bone healing.
  • Compression Plates provide dynamic pressure between bone fragments to repair the bone and promote bone healing. 
  • Tension Plates are usually wires that secure an area to promote healing. 

Screws 

Screws are orthopedic implants that resemble normal screws and have a head, tip, and body. But they typically come with either flatheads or crossheads to help in the insertion of the screw. Screws come in various designs, forms, and sizes, used for a variety of procedures. 

Uses of Orthopedic Screws 

  • Orthopedic screws provide compression, enabling bones in the injured area to heal and mend. 
  • They are used to tighten damaged/ broken bones such as torn labrum, rotator cuff, etc. 
  • They help reduce gaps between broken/ damaged bones, enabling faster healing. 
  • They are also used to restore stability and strength in a weak area by repairing fractured/ damaged bones. 
  • They may be implanted permanently or temporarily depending on individual cases. 

Learn more about the types of orthopedic screws here. 

Intramedullary Nailing Systems 

Intramedullary Nailing Systems are orthopedic implants used in the treatment of weakened/ broken long bones such as the tibia, femur, and humerus.  These systems have an anatomical shape and come in different shapes, sizes, lengths, and diameters for use in diverse orthopedic procedures. 

Uses of Intramedullary Nailing Systems: 

  • These orthopedic implants help in treating/ fixing broken bones. 
  • They help in restoring the shape of the bone to its pre-injured state. 
  • They provide stability, alignment, and movement while aiding and speeding up the healing process. 
  • Being placed within the hollow of the bone, they help minimize soft tissue disruption. 
  • They help with weight distribution and sharing of the load on the bone. 
  • Halifax Nail and Halder Humeral Nail are patented products that are special to Gesco. 

Prosthesis  

Prostheses are orthopedic implants that act as artificial body parts. 

Uses of Prosthesis: 

  • Prosthesis is used to replace missing bones, joints, or limbs. 
  • They either replace missing bones and joints or support damaged ones. 
  • They are typically used in the knees and hips to enable patients to regain movement and motion. 
  • They enable patients to regain movement, physical strength, and functionality in a relatively short period. 

Orthopedic Implants at Gesco  

Gesco is a leading orthopedic implant manufacturer in India, serving a diverse global client base. The complete range of Gesco implants is cutting-edge, innovative, and surgery ready. Each implant is crafted with utmost care and goes through several rounds of rigorous quality checks to ensure only precise and best-quality ones are delivered to clients. Want to know about our range of orthopedic implants? 

Head onto the website now.