Innovation
Dr. Orhun K. Muratoglu is the Director of the Harris Orthopaedics Laboratory, Vice Chair of Clinical Innovation at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, and Alan Gerry Scholar at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School. He received his B.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Materials Science and completed his doctoral work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Program for Polymer Science and Technology. Dr. Muratoglu played a key role in the discovery of highly crosslinked UHMWPE, a more wear-resistant polymeric material for load-bearing applications in total joints. He also pioneered the use of the antioxidant vitamin E to further stabilize the highly crosslinked UHMWPE. Medical implants fabricated using technologies have been in clinical use since 1998 with over ten million implantations worldwide, in total hip, knee and shoulder patients. These technologies markedly reduced the revision rate by increasing the wear and oxidation resistances of the implants and virtually eliminated periprosthetic osteolysis, the number one cause of revision in total joints. The use of these implants in total hip and total knee patients resulted in $2B annual savings in US health care spending.
Dr. Muratoglu continues his research on investigating molecular mechanisms of structure-property relationships in UHMWPE. He is exploring infection and pain management technologies for total joint patients and directing research in the design of more functional joint implants.
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