Muscular-Skeletal Joint Stability Detection and Method Therefor

A system for detecting micro-motion in a prosthetic component comprising:

• a three-axis accelerometer coupled to the prosthetic component where the prosthetic component is configured to be cemented to bone and where the bone or the prosthetic component is configured to receive an impact force;
• electronic circuitry coupled to the three-axis accelerometer where the electronic circuitry includes a transmitter configured to transmit quantitative measurement data from the three-axis accelerometer due to the impact force;
• and
• a remote system configured to receive the quantitative measurement data where the remote system processes the quantitative measurement data to determine micro-motion or changes in micro-motion in the prosthetic component that corresponds to loosening of the prosthetic component.

A method for determining interface stability between an orthopedic implant and a muscular-skeletal system comprising the steps of:

• providing an impact force to the orthopedic implant where the impact force generates a pulse;
• measuring the pulse with a three-axis accelerometer where the pulse is measured along each axis;
• measuring peaks of the pulse at frequencies less than 1 KHz along each axis;
• measuring at what frequencies the peaks occur along each axis;
• and
• determining the stability of the implant.