Sustainability in Orthopedic Device Manufacturing: Green Innovations and Practices

Climate change is a very real threat to the future of humankind, and fighting climate change requires consideration and action from all industries — including orthopedics. A lifecycle analysis of orthopedic devices found that all implants have a negative environmental impact, especially during the manufacturing process. Using unsustainable materials, struggling with unsustainable designs, and relying on unsustainable sources of energy, all make orthopedic device manufacturing hazardous to the environment and in desperate need of change.
 
Orthopedic devices are undeniably important, as millions of people around the world rely on a variety of orthopedic tools to move comfortably and live happily. Yet, despite their widespread necessity, or perhaps because of it, orthopedics manufacturers must understand their environmental impact and make meaningful changes to their materials and processes to support greater sustainability for the entire industry.  

Sustainable Materials

A large number of orthopedic devices utilize materials like metal and plastic, which tend to be inexpensive and easy to use. Unfortunately, these materials also pose significant environmental risks, first in their retrieval, then in their manufacturing, and finally in their disposal. Shifting away from these materials is a good way to radically reduce the environmental impact of orthopedic devices in the long term.
 
Fortunately, biomedical materials engineers are already working on more sustainable solutions, specifically biodegradable materials that provide the same level of support without destroying and polluting the natural environment. Some materials used for biodegradable orthopedic implants include:

• Calcium phosphate ceramics, including hydroxyapatite (HA) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP), have a similar mineral composition to natural bone.
• Bioglass is made from silica, calcium, sodium, and phosphorus and can immediately bond with surrounding tissues to promote fast healing.
• Natural polymers, such as collagen and chitosan, are naturally occurring materials, making them ideal options for sustainable manufacturing.

In addition to having lower environmental impact, biodegradable materials can offer advantages such as reducing the potential for complications and improving healing, leading to much better patient outcomes than traditional materials can provide.

Eco-Friendly Design

Long before a patient comes into contact with an orthopedic device, that device undergoes rigorous testing to ensure its materials and design can withstand its required use. Biomedical engineers and orthopedic designers undergo round after round of testing to ensure their devices meet essential standards for safety and performance.
 
All those prototypes and test devices go to waste — which hurts the environment. Fortunately, the device testing phase can become more sustainable through cutting-edge orthopedic devices, specifically artificial intelligence (AI). AI can help engineers better understand the forces working on any orthopedic device and provide insights that lead to optimal decision-making during the design process. This could result in fewer rounds of testing, which means less waste.
 
3D printing might also be a valuable technology for the design phase. 3D printers can produce unique orthopedic designs rapidly without needing tools like forms or molds, which are likely to be discarded once the testing phase concludes. Therefore, designers can use 3D printers to experiment with different designs and materials quickly and with much more limited waste.

Energy-Efficient Manufacturing

Arguably, the most unsustainable attribute of orthopedics manufacturing — and one that afflicts nearly the entire manufacturing sector — is its energy use. Estimates suggest that the manufacturing sector is responsible for over 12% of all greenhouse gas emissions every year, most of which are caused by energy consumption. Unfortunately, manufacturing emissions output only continues to increase.
 
Though orthopedics manufacturing is only a small sliver of the sector, any changes orthopedics manufacturers can make to change their energy consumption and emissions production can have a positive effect on the environment. Some considerations manufacturers might make to alter their energy use include:

• Switching to green sources of energy. Rather than relying on burning fossil fuels, manufacturers might invest in renewable energies like wind and solar power. These sources of energy are limitless and have much less severe environmental risks than fossil fuels. Manufacturers can invest in clean energy production for their own plants, using intelligent systems design to overcome common challenges and meet needs.
• Improving the efficiency of manufacturing processes. Wasteful practices can result in unnecessary energy consumption, which both increases costs for manufacturers and compounds negative environmental effects. Introducing good design is key for sustainability, as a complete and efficient supply chain reduces waste and increases plant longevity.
• Managing manufacturing equipment. Because equipment uses such a significant amount of energy, even the slightest inefficiency in equipment operations can result in waste. Effective and sustainable equipment management involves regular maintenance as well as systems to track equipment performance to detect and resolve inefficiencies. 

The orthopedics market is expected to grow, and the environmental impact of orthopedics manufacturing will grow alongside it. Any steps orthopedics manufacturers can take today to promote sustainability will have lasting effects on the health of the planet. From introducing design efficacy to incorporating new and innovative materials, the industry can stay on top of making manufacturing green.
 

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Amanda Winstead is a writer from the Portland area with a background in communications and a passion for telling stories. Along with writing she enjoys traveling, reading, working out, and going to concerts. If you want to follow her writing journey, or even just say hi you can find her on Twitter.