Israeli Space Age Material Used in Pioneering Hip, Knee Replacement

Doctors at Fellowship-supported Rambam Hospital in Haifa, Israel, have just started using a new Israeli developed material for hip and knee replacement - and they hope to have better, longer-lasting results reports The Times of Israel:

As part of a pioneering new treatment, Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center used a material developed in Israel for NASA’s space program in orthopedic surgery, the hospital announced Sunday.

The advanced polymeric material is, according to the developer, “self-shielding, has high heat resistance, zero wear, high strength and light weight, all of which make it ideal for replacing worn joints,” reducing the likelihood of further operations as was the case when using materials that could crack over time.

The material, known as MP1, was originally developed by Aliza Buchman for the Nahariya-based start-up company M.M.A Tech, in collaboration with Rob Bryant of Virginia, US. It was intended to be used as a substitute for steel in the space industry, but the medical world also quickly realized its potential benefit.

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