Surgical sensor tracks healing and then simply fades away

A sensor that tracks strain and pressure on tendons as they heal could help doctors closely follow a patient’s recovery. The dual sensor continued to work for up to two weeks in a rodent and then gradually broke down without causing inflammation.

The ability to monitor the mechanical forces on tendons after surgical repair would improve rehabilitation and allow treatment to be tailored to each patient. Biodegrading after use means no additional surgery is needed to remove the device. ‘We could constantly measure the strain that tendons are subjected to and that would allow patients to have a higher standard of life by being more active, but not taking on too much strain,’ explains co-author Bob Schroeder at the University College London, UK. He says the ultimate application would be to ‘monitor strain and pressure on the heart after heart surgery’.