Innovative Implant Development (Fracture Healing)

Welcome to the website of the Werner Siemens Endowed Chair for Innovative Implant Development (Fracture Healing) at Saarland University!

As a research department within the division of surgery, we deal with fracture healing and the development of intelligent implants for the treatment of bone fractures, using new materials and biomechanical simulations in combination with clinical studies and methods from physiology and computer science. We work closely with the Department of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery at Saarland University Hospital. The Chair for Innovative Implant Development was created in March 2021 together with the Werner Siemens Foundation as part of the "Smart Implants" project.

In addition to fracture healing, we are researching the musculoskeletal system during immobilisation and the ageing process. We are investigating immobilisation primarily in the context of space travel, for example in bed rest studies, on people who stay in an Antarctic station for an extended period of time, and on astronauts on the the International Space Station. Here we are involved in large, international studies in cooperation with NASA, ESA and DLR. We are also interested in musculoskeletal ageing processes and the age-related decline in physical performance.