隨著全球人口結構高齡化和醫療技術的日新月異，使得全球醫療器材市場，正以前所未有的速度，快速地蓬勃發展，預估2006年全球醫療器材市場的總值約為1,643.57億美元，相對於2006年我國醫療器材產業的營業額新台幣690億元，我國目前大概只佔全球醫療器材市場總值的1.4%，相較於半導體、以及電子業稱霸國際，全球醫療器材市場，不啻是我國廠商的一片藍海! 2004年全球骨科市場的價值達190億美元，預期未來十年的年平均成長率將高達10~13%，聯合骨科在人工關節的設計與製造，具有亞洲第一的水準，非常具有競爭優勢，然而，由於歐美知名品牌的公司規模及在中國人工關節市場先驅者的地位，聯合骨科如何在激烈的競爭環境中脫穎而出，考驗著聯合骨科經理人的智慧；目前，聯合骨科在台灣及大陸，分別擁有約20% 以及10% 的市場佔有率，並在西安與新竹建立生產基地。 透過實際參與中國人工關節市場操作的台灣及大陸的聯合骨科經理人、競爭廠商經理人、以及學術界的專家的角度，利用策略行銷4C成本理論，分析聯合骨科在中國人工關節市場的發展現況的優缺點與可能的成因之後，本研究建議聯合骨科在運用有限資源的有效性及時效性的考量之下，可以考慮優先解決買者的外顯單位效益成本以及買者的專屬陷入成本，進而取得市場上的優勢，除此之外，如果他們能夠持續地提升技術層面的優勢之外，更進一步的創造行銷與服務方面的效能，必能在中國的人工關節市場上，取得優勢，創造出更亮麗的成績；深耕中國、佈局世界，以期與世界級的品牌大廠，能夠在全球的人工關節市場競爭上，有更卓越的表現！ / Along with global aging population and rapid advancement of medical technology, global medical devices market is increasing at the fastest speed ever and is reaching US$ 164B in 2006. 2006 Taiwan medical devices market is US$ 2.3B which is only 1.4% of overall global medical devices market. Comparing with dominant positions of Taiwan semiconducting and electronic industries, global medical devices market is a great “Blue Ocean” opportunity! Global orthopedic market will reach US$ 19B in 2004 and is expected to grow at 10-13% annually for the coming 10 years. United Orthopedic Corporation （UOC） is very competitive and is in a leading position in orthopedic joint design and manufacturing in Asia. Due to relative large company size and market pioneer position of well-known US & European brands in China, management team of UOC is facing a tremendous challenge to win this game；So far, UOC is holding 20% and 10% of market share in Taiwan and China, respectively. UOC has set-up manufacturing bases in both Xian and Hsin-Chu. After consolidating individual assessment of UOC management team, competitors’ management team as well as experts from academic society who are personally involving in orthopedic joint market in China and applying the strategic marketing analysis of 4C theory, we have concluded the strength/weakness and their possible causes of UOC current market status in China. Based on our findings, we suggest UOC could consider utilize its limited resources effectively and efficiently, as priorities, to build up its competitiveness on Cost/Utility ratio and Asset Specificity. If UOC can create effectiveness on both marketing and service furthermore, it can achieve competitive advantage and better performance in China orthopedic joint market；Establishing a strong foundation in China and structuring its market position in the world. UOC will be able to tackle face-to-face competition with world-class orthopedic companies in global market!

[Truncated abstract] Measuring the kinematics of joints and implants following orthopaedic surgery is important since joint motion directly influences the functional outcome of the patient and the longevity of the implant. Radiostereometric Analysis (RSA) has been used to assess the motion over time of various joints and implant designs following corrective orthopaedic and joint replacement surgery for more than 20 years in more than 10,000 patients around the world. While the use of RSA reduces the risk of implanting potentially inferior prostheses on a large scale, conventional methodological procedures are based on the acquisition of static, stereographic x-ray images that are not suitable for measuring skeletal kinematics in a dynamic manner. The purpose of this thesis was to design, validate and test a novel technique for dynamically assessing the skeletal motion of human subjects using RSA and single-plane digital x-ray video fluoroscopy. The validation procedure utilised two in-vitro phantom models of human joints capable of simulating normal kinematic motion. These phantom models were supplied with realistic spatial displacement protocols derived from cadaveric specimens. The spatial positions of a series of tantalum markers that were implanted in each skeletal segment were measured using RSA. Skeletal motion was determined in x-ray fluoroscopy images by minimising the difference between the markers measured and projected in the single image plane. Accuracy was determined in terms of bias and precision by analysing the deviation between the applied displacement protocol and measured pose estimates. ... The RSA and low dose single-plane fluoroscopy technique developed, validated and tested in this thesis is capable of dynamically measuring the kinematics of any joint in the human body, following the implantation of small metallic markers in the surrounding bone during corrective orthopaedic surgery. The kinematics of joints with replacement prostheses, such as the total knee replacement (TKR), can be analysed in addition to the kinematics of joints without replacement prostheses, such as the sacroiliac joint. The technique may be used in the future on groups of human subjects enrolled in controlled trials that are designed to analyse the kinematics of the shoulder, spine, hip, knee, patella or ankle joints for the purposes of quantitatively comparing the kinematics of different prosthesis designs and various corrective orthopaedic procedures.

In Germany alone, 10,000 to 12,000 transfemoral amputations occur every year. Persistent rehabilitation efforts and advanced medical devices like prosthetic knee joints are crucial to reintegrating amputees into daily life successfully. Modern knee joints represent a highly integrated mechatronic system including special kinematics, a lightweight design, various sensors, microprocessors and complex algorithms to control a damping system in the context of the given situation. A knee joint is a passive system and normally has no actuator for an active movement. To enable a natural gait pattern, dampers decelerate the swinging speed of the prosthesis depending on the walking speed and situation. The invention of a novel knee joint called VarioKnie provides two kinematics - a monocentric and a polycentric one. Both kinematics have diametrical advantages and the user can choose the preferred setting through an electromechanical switching unit. With this knee joint in mind, a special hydraulic damper is developed to support both kinematics. Requirements and technical data are provided in the present paper. State of art are microprocessor-controlled knee joints with only one kinematic and either a hydraulic, a pneumatic, or a rheological damper.