MedTech: Orthopaedic Implants and Regenerative Medicine (FutureLearn)

You will consider the design and development process of orthopaedic implants, and understand current medical regulations. You will also explore regenerative therapies and the regulatory framework that ensures the technology will benefit patients.
You will learn how stem cells are used for tissue engineering and explore how this technology allows human joint regeneration to occur before a joint needs to be replaced.

What topics will you cover?

• What are the possible medical treatments for joint degeneration?
• Which joints can be replaced and how?
• The materials used for orthopaedic joints and how we ensure they are bio-compatible.
• The production and testing process for an artificial joint replacement.
• What is regenerative medicine and how does it work?
• How are biological scaffolds produced and what materials are they made from?
• Requirements for testing biological scaffolds and regulations which need to be followed.
• The future of regenerative medicine and technology.

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

• Identify the materials used to create implants, their qualities and rationale for their use.
• Describe the manufacturing process of regenerative bio-materials and orthopaedic implants.
• Explore the regulatory frameworks and bodies who oversee this area of MedTech.
• Evaluate the merits and challenges in the use of regenerative tissue against the use of orthopaedic implants.
• Describe how regenerative tissue technologies could impact on anticipated future demands for improved healthcare.

Who is the course for?
This course is appropriate for anyone interested in MedTech and product design.
The course will be of particular interest to undergraduate students studying engineering, product design, and disciplines related to healthcare, and professionals working in the healthcare sector in a medical capacity or as MedTech designers.