Artificial Hips: Enhancing Future Implants by Pooja Shete on January 15, 2021 at 7:23 PM The study conducted at the Rice University is published in the journal Biotribology. The Brown School of Engineering lab of mechanical engineer Fred Higgs conducted a computational study that simulates and tracks how hips evolve, uniquely incorporating fluid dynamics and roughness of the joint surfaces. They also included factors clinicians typically use to predict how well implants will stand up over their expected 15-year lifetime. The immediate goal of the team was to advance the design of more robust prostheses. The researchers stated that the model can help clinicians personalize hip joints for patients depending on gender, weight, age, and gait variations.