Researchers at the University of Leeds in the UK are working on ways to make joint implants last longer. At the moment, a knee or hip replacement only lasts about 15 years at best but the team of British scientists led by Sotiris Korossis is hoping to engineer new implants that won't wear out so quickly by working out how to sculpt them to suit an individual's skeleton. If that individual is an athletic type who needs replacement surgery following a lot of sporting activity, it's important to consider ways to minimize that risk in future, too - so the team is also looking into how to specially tailor implants for different sports in order to make them last longer. If they succeed, it's a win-win situation: fewer invasive medical procedures for patients and less investment for hospitals. Go team.

Via New Scientist.