Oil rig technology used in hospitals

Technology used in oil rigs has now been used in a Southampton hospital, the Southampton Echo reports.

Indeed, technology which is most commonly used to test corrosion in the legs of oil rigs has been adjusted to the needs of patients with hip and knee problems.

The technology in the hospital is now used to provide tailor-made hip and knee replacements for patients.

Rather than just removing and replacing the failed artificial joints, a series of laboratory tests are carried out to establish what triggered complications for the patient to ensure it doesn't happen again.

Doctors use the technology from oil rigs to carry out these complex investigations.

It is hoped that this development will reduce the amount of surgery needed by those whose joint replacements have failed.

The treatment was developed by a team of specialists at Southampton General Hospital, led by Jeremy Latham, a consultant hip surgeon.

According to Mr Latham, this piece of technology is vital in a time when so many hip procedures have been failing.

Mr Latham said: "The past few years have been very difficult, particularly for patients with failing metal-on-metal hip replacements but, by looking in great detail at the reasons why they've gone wrong, we hope, in the future, to be able to tailor treatment to the individual."

Mr Latham added: "Previously, patients with failed replacements had them removed and then replaced with similar devices. Tests only showed how the devices failed and not why.

"But, with our approach, we hope to be able to build profiles specific to each patient to the point where we can say 'we are sure that a certain type of implant won't work for you because you might react to it, but a different one will work perfectly well because you won't react.

"It is all about creating bespoke treatment by matching the implant to a patient rather than patient to implant."