STM Journals Peer-reviewed research from Consortium e-Learning Network

Journal of Polymer & Composites Original Research Special issue

Image-Based Evaluation of Implant Tissue Interface Integrity in Polymer Orthopaedic Devices

  1. Sheeba Santhosh Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Panimalar Engineering College, Chennai
  2. S.A. Yuvaraj Department of Biomedical Engineering, GRT Institute of Engineering and Technology, Tiruttani
  3. Chengamma Chitteti Department of Data Science, School of Engineering, Mohan Babu University, Tirupati
  4. NMG Kumar Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Sri M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, Bangalore
  5. M. Ram Prasad Reddy Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Aditya College of Engineering, Madanapalle

Abstract

Polymer orthopedic implants offer radiolucency and mechanical compatibility with bone, but long-term success depends on maintaining a stable implant–tissue interface. Routine imaging is widely available for follow-up, yet interface integrity is commonly judged qualitatively, limiting early detection of fixation compromise and reducing comparability across devices and time points. This work presents an image-based methodology to quantify interface integrity by extracting interpretable interface descriptors from a standardized interface belt around the implant boundary. The approach combines boundary-geometry roughness metrics with texture-transition analysis based on local entropy and complementary texture statistics to generate an adhesion integrity score and longitudinal change indicators. Example results demonstrate stable indicator trajectories in a stable-fixation cohort and progressive degradation patterns in a compromised cohort, with strong cross-sectional separability at 12 months using both roughness and entropy-transition features. End-to-end performance indicates that accurate boundary localization supports robust feature computation and enables practical throughput for follow-up imaging analysis. The proposed framework provides a reproducible, non-invasive pathway for monitoring interface condition and supporting integrity assessment of polymer orthopedic devices using imaging-derived indicators.

Keywords

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