Personalized Joint Replacement: Landmark-Free Morphometric Analysis of Distal Radii

<b>Background:</b> Fractures of the distal radius are common, particularly among young men and elderly women, often leading to painful wrist arthritis, especially if the joint surface has been affected. Traditional treatments of the wrist, such as full or partial wrist fusion, limit move...

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Main Authors: Sarah L. Remus, Kevin Brugetti, Veronika A. Zimmer, Nina Hesse, Paul L. Reidler, Riccardo Giunta, Julia A. Schnabel, Wolfram Demmer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5142/10/1/71
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author Sarah L. Remus
Kevin Brugetti
Veronika A. Zimmer
Nina Hesse
Paul L. Reidler
Riccardo Giunta
Julia A. Schnabel
Wolfram Demmer
author_facet Sarah L. Remus
Kevin Brugetti
Veronika A. Zimmer
Nina Hesse
Paul L. Reidler
Riccardo Giunta
Julia A. Schnabel
Wolfram Demmer
author_sort Sarah L. Remus
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background:</b> Fractures of the distal radius are common, particularly among young men and elderly women, often leading to painful wrist arthritis, especially if the joint surface has been affected. Traditional treatments of the wrist, such as full or partial wrist fusion, limit movement, and common wrist prostheses have high complication rates. Regenerative medicine and 3D bioprinting offer the potential for personalized joint replacements. <b>Methods</b>: This study evaluates using the contralateral radius as a template for creating customized distal radius prostheses. Bilateral CT scans of healthy wrists were analyzed to assess the shape and symmetry of the distal radius using a landmark-free morphometric method. Instead of comparing defined landmarks, the entire surface of the radius is analyzed employing dense point- and deformation-based morphometry to detect subtle morphological differences, providing an unbiased and more accurate comparison of the overall deformations in the distal radii. <b>Results:</b> results show strong intraindividual symmetry in joint surfaces. Interindividual comparisons revealed significant morphological variations, particularly gender-specific differences. <b>Conclusions:</b> These findings support the use of the contralateral radius as a template for the replaced side. At the same time, the interindividual results endorse the approach of pursuing personalized prostheses as the optimal replacement for distal joint surfaces. The increasing improvement of 3D-printed prostheses promises new methods for better outcomes in distal radius arthrosis after intraarticular fractures. Further research into clinical applications and biocompatible 3D printing materials is recommended.
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spelling doaj-art-3c8c3babb16d40f3aabf0d426084b5772025-08-20T01:48:52ZengMDPI AGJournal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology2411-51422025-02-011017110.3390/jfmk10010071Personalized Joint Replacement: Landmark-Free Morphometric Analysis of Distal RadiiSarah L. Remus0Kevin Brugetti1Veronika A. Zimmer2Nina Hesse3Paul L. Reidler4Riccardo Giunta5Julia A. Schnabel6Wolfram Demmer7School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, 80333 Munich, GermanyDepartment of Hand, Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, LMU Klinikum, Ziemssenstraße 5, 80336 Munich, GermanySchool of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, 80333 Munich, GermanyDepartment of Radiology, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, GermanyDepartment of Radiology, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, GermanyDepartment of Hand, Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, LMU Klinikum, Ziemssenstraße 5, 80336 Munich, GermanySchool of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, 80333 Munich, GermanyDepartment of Hand, Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, LMU Klinikum, Ziemssenstraße 5, 80336 Munich, Germany<b>Background:</b> Fractures of the distal radius are common, particularly among young men and elderly women, often leading to painful wrist arthritis, especially if the joint surface has been affected. Traditional treatments of the wrist, such as full or partial wrist fusion, limit movement, and common wrist prostheses have high complication rates. Regenerative medicine and 3D bioprinting offer the potential for personalized joint replacements. <b>Methods</b>: This study evaluates using the contralateral radius as a template for creating customized distal radius prostheses. Bilateral CT scans of healthy wrists were analyzed to assess the shape and symmetry of the distal radius using a landmark-free morphometric method. Instead of comparing defined landmarks, the entire surface of the radius is analyzed employing dense point- and deformation-based morphometry to detect subtle morphological differences, providing an unbiased and more accurate comparison of the overall deformations in the distal radii. <b>Results:</b> results show strong intraindividual symmetry in joint surfaces. Interindividual comparisons revealed significant morphological variations, particularly gender-specific differences. <b>Conclusions:</b> These findings support the use of the contralateral radius as a template for the replaced side. At the same time, the interindividual results endorse the approach of pursuing personalized prostheses as the optimal replacement for distal joint surfaces. The increasing improvement of 3D-printed prostheses promises new methods for better outcomes in distal radius arthrosis after intraarticular fractures. Further research into clinical applications and biocompatible 3D printing materials is recommended.https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5142/10/1/71anatomy of the wristlandmark-free morphometryCT3D-printed prosthesesdistal radiusmirror symmetry
spellingShingle Sarah L. Remus
Kevin Brugetti
Veronika A. Zimmer
Nina Hesse
Paul L. Reidler
Riccardo Giunta
Julia A. Schnabel
Wolfram Demmer
Personalized Joint Replacement: Landmark-Free Morphometric Analysis of Distal Radii
Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology
anatomy of the wrist
landmark-free morphometry
CT
3D-printed prostheses
distal radius
mirror symmetry
title Personalized Joint Replacement: Landmark-Free Morphometric Analysis of Distal Radii
title_full Personalized Joint Replacement: Landmark-Free Morphometric Analysis of Distal Radii
title_fullStr Personalized Joint Replacement: Landmark-Free Morphometric Analysis of Distal Radii
title_full_unstemmed Personalized Joint Replacement: Landmark-Free Morphometric Analysis of Distal Radii
title_short Personalized Joint Replacement: Landmark-Free Morphometric Analysis of Distal Radii
title_sort personalized joint replacement landmark free morphometric analysis of distal radii
topic anatomy of the wrist
landmark-free morphometry
CT
3D-printed prostheses
distal radius
mirror symmetry
url https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5142/10/1/71
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