PhD Studentship: Vision-based Marker-less Navigation for Total Hip Replacement

Funding Source: EPSRC DLA Interdisciplinary Scholarships

Stipend:

• UKRI rate stipend for 3.5 years full-time (70 months part-time).
• Full Payment of academic fees (home only)
• A Researcher Training Support Grant of up to £5,000
• Access to Disabled Student Allowance, paid sick leave and paid parental leave

Supervisor: University of Warwick: Dr Arnab Palit, Prof Andy Metcalfe

Eligibility: Satisfy UKRI's eligibility criteria, this funding is restricted to Home fees candidates due to Council requirements

Start date: October 2025

Total Hip Replacement (THR) is a common surgical procedure, with nearly 100,000 performed annually in the UK. However, about 20% require revision within 15 years due to complications like implant loosening, dislocation, and fractures caused by suboptimal implant positioning. With primary THR demand in younger patients expected to increase fivefold by 2030, revision surgeries will also rise. To improve implant positioning, image-guided navigation is increasingly used in complex THR procedures. These systems combine preoperative planning and intraoperative measurements into a visual interface, improving surgical precision and outcomes. However, current navigation methods have significant limitations. They rely on artificial markers attached to bones, requiring additional incisions that increase the risk of injury and infection. The manual registration process adds 15-20 minutes to surgery, introduces human error, and creates line-of-sight occlusions, disrupting surgical workflow.

This interdisciplinary project aims to overcome these challenges by developing a vision-based marker-less navigation system using deep learning (DL). The project’s objectives include generating training data from synthetic datasets and real-world images (cadaver and actual intraoperative THR images), developing a marker-less segmentation and registration workflow, integrating with in-house THR pre-planning to create a complete navigation system, and validating it through cadaver experiments.

The proposed work will improve surgical workflow, shortens surgery time, enables unrestricted movement tracking, and reduces infection risks. Eliminating markers enables robot-assisted or fully automated femoral implantation, which is not possible with current systems. It aligns with key STEM themes and EPSRC’s strategic focus on ‘Engineering’, ‘Health and Medical Technologies’, and ‘AI, Digital, and Smart Applications’.

Warwick University is renowned for its high-quality research and a thriving PhD program. This strong research culture enhances both the PhD student’s experience and the demand for our graduates. This PhD project has been developed through interdisciplinary collaboration between Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), Warwick Medical School (WMS), and University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust. It offers an opportunity to apply engineering expertise to real-world challenges, making a meaningful impact. The successful applicant will work collaboratively across WMG and WMS. While the primary focus will be on biomechanics, image processing, machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), and metrology, the student will also contribute to the co-design of cadaver experiments and data collection activities. Supervision will be provided by academics from various disciplines specializing in biomechanics, image processing, and computer vision, alongside orthopaedic surgeons and academics.

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