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Award for Ceramic Implant Applications in Arthroplasty

The “Heinz-Mittelmeier Research Award” by the German Society for Orthopedics and Orthopedic Surgery e.V. (DGOOC) recognizes research on metal-free implant applications in arthroplasty – endowed by CeramTec GmbH since 1996.

The award is offered to doctors, engineers and scientists aged 45 and under for outstanding research and development work in the field of metal-free implant restoration in orthopedics and trauma surgery.

The focus of the prize is on scientific work and innovation in the field of orthopedics and trauma surgery that contribute to metal-free orthopedic care. The aim is to promote research into new materials and technologies that offer clinical benefits, reduce infection, facilitate diagnostics, and improve patient care, and (not least) relieve the financial burden on healthcare systems.

Scientific work in the following areas is worthy of the award:

  • Innovative implant solutions based on ceramics, plastics, or other metal-free materials for hips, knees, spine, and other orthopedic applications,
  • New material technologies and combinations thereof that optimize durability, elasticity, and osseointegration,
  • Surface modifications and coatings that reduce bacterial adhesion and improve biocompatibility,
  • MRI-compatible implants and imaging-friendly materials that enable more precise diagnostics,
  • Metal-free osteosynthetic systems, including screws, plates, or alternative fixation methods,
  • Bridging technologies, AI, and 3D-printing for the development of individualized metal-free implants,
  • Health economic and clinical analyses that demonstrate the benefits and sustainability of metal-free solutions.
The German Society for Orthopaedics and Orthopaedic Surgery e.V. (DGOOC).

Work may already be published in a scientific journal or book. Unpublished manuscripts, diploma theses, dissertations, and post-doctoral theses are also accepted. The only exception is that the work must not have been submitted for, or received, any other scientific prize.

The 2025 research award will be presented during the jointly sponsored congress by the German Society for Orthopedics and Orthopedic Surgery (DGOOC), the German Association for Trauma Surgery (DGU), and the Professional Association of Orthopedists and Trauma Surgeons (BVOU) in Berlin.

To be considered for the award, your work (in German or English) must be sent as a PDF to preise@dgou.de no later than July 31, 2025. A declaration that your work has not received or been submitted for another award, together with the data protection form (available on the DGOU website) must accompany your entry. 

Previous Award Winners Heinz-Mittelmeier Research Award

2024

Adrian Buchholz, M. Sc. 

Dr.-Ing. Joachim Döring (Germany)

Damage analysis of retrieved BIOLOX®delta components used in hard and soft bearings

2024

Dr. rer. nat. Robert Nißler  

Dr. med. Sebastian Walter (Germany)

Material-Intrinsic NIR-Fluorescence Enables Image-Guided  Surgery for Ceramic Fracture Removal


2023

Dr.-Ing. Philipp DAMM (Germany)

In vivo friction in total hip joint replecament - the 'un'known load paramater


2022

Jessica HEMBUS (Germany)

Experimental Investigation of Material Transfer on Bearings for Total Hip Arthroplasty—A Retrieval Study on Ceramic and Metallic Femoral Heads


2020-21

Dr. Lisa RENNER (Germany)

Ceramic-on-Ceramic Bearing in Total Hip Arthroplasty Reduces the Risk for Revision for Periprosthetic Joint Infection Compared to Ceramic-on-Polyethylene: A Matched Analysis of 118,753 Cementless THA Based on the German Arthroplasty Registry


2019

Erik LENGUERRAND (UK)

Implants with ceramic bearing surfaces have a lower risk of revision for prosthetic joint infection following primary hip replacement: findings from the National Joint Registry for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man
 


2018

Saurabh LAL (UK)

Novel systematic methodologies for isolation, characterization, and biological evaluation of ceramic and metal wear particles


2017

Constantin MAYER (Germany)

Wear kinetics of highly cross-linked and conventional polyethylene are similar in the medium term follow-up after primary total hip arthroplasty


2016

Anastasia RAKOW (Germany)
Janosch SCHOON (Germany)

Influence of particulate and dissociated metal-on-metal hip endoprosthesis wear on mesenchymal stromal cells in vivo and in vitro


2015

Julian GUEHRS (Germany)

The influence of stem taper re-use upon the failure load of ceramic heads


2014

Daniel MACDONALD (USA)

What factors influence fretting corrosion in THA with ceramics heads. A retrieval analysis


2013

Jan-M. BRANDT (Canada)

Clinical failure analysis of contemporary ceramic-on-ceramic total hip replacements


2012

Jan Philippe KRETZER (Germany)

Wear in total knee arthroplasty – just a question of polyethylene?


2011

Fritz THOREY (Germany)

Early results of revision hip arthroplasty using a ceramic revision ball head


2010

Saverio AFFATATO (Italy)

Mixing and matching in ceramic-on-metal hip arthroplasty: An in-vitro hip simulator study


2009

Martin IHLE (Germany)

Ceramics vs. CoCrMo femoral heads in combination with polyethylene cups. Long-term wear analysis at 20 years


Alexandra POKORNY (Austria)

The noisy hip – Is it only a ceramic issue?


2008

Saverio AFFATATO (Italy)

Advanced nanocomposite materials for orthopaedic applications.
I. A long-term in-vitro wear study of zirconia-toughened alumina


2007

Jeong-Joon YOO (South Korea)

For his works on ceramic wear couples in hip replacements 


2006

Sofia AVNET (Italy)

Molecular basis of osteoclastogenesis induced by osteoblasts exposed to wear particles


2005

Thomas STERNER (Germany)

Auswirkungen von klinisch relevanten Aluminium Keramik-, Zirkonium Keramik- und Titanpartikeln unterschiedlicher Größe und Konzentration auf die TNFα-Ausschüttung in einem humanen Makrophagensystem

[Effects of clinically relevant alumina ceramic particles, circonia ceramic particles and titanium particles of different sizes and concentrations on TNFα release in a human monocytic cell line]

The awarded paper was published in:
Biomedizinische Technik, 49 (2004), 340-344


2004

Christoph NICH (France)

Long-term results of alumina-on-alumina hip arthroplasty for osteonecrosis

The awarded paper was published in:
Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2003 Dec;(417):102-111


Christian HENDRICH (Germany)

Polyethylene wear in spherical pressfit-cups with 32mm alumina heads


2003

Stefanie VETTER (Germany)

Analyse und Bewertung der Verbundhaftung von Keramik und Knochenzement in der Knieendoprothetik

Please click here (PDF, 7MB)


2002

Corrado PICONI (Italy)

Volumetric determination of the wear of ceramics for hip joints

The awarded paper was published in:
Biomaterials. 2002 Feb;23(4):1131-


2001

Georg BERGMANN (Germany)

Frictional heating of total hip implants

The awarded paper was published in:
J. Biomech. 2001; 34: 421-428


2000

Jim E. NEVELOS (UK)

Wear of HIPed and Non-HIPed alumina-alumina hip joints under standard and severe simulator testing conditions

For the abstract (PDF, 76 KB) click here


1999

F. PRUDHOMMEAUX (France)

Analysis of alumina-alumina hip prostheses wear behaviour after 10 Years implantation

The awarded paper was published in:
Clin. Orthop. Rel Res.

For the abstract (PDF, 45 KB) click here


1998

Zhen LU, Harry McKELLOP (USA)

Frictional heating of bearing materials tested in a hip joint simulator

The awarded paper was published in: Proc. Instn. mech. Engrs. 211 Part H (1997), 101-108


1997

Thomas LINDENFELD (Germany)

In-vivo-Verschleiß der Gleitpaarungen Keramik-Polyethylen gegen Metall-Polyethylen

[In vivo wear of the wear couples ceramics-on-polyethylene and metal-on-polyethylene]

The awarded paper was published in:
Zichner L, Lindenfeld T: Orthopäde 26 (1997), 129-134


1996

Ekkehard FRITSCH (Germany)

Biocompatibility of alumina-ceramic in total hip replacement. Macroscopic and microscopic findings on capsular tissues after long-term implantation

For the abstract (PDF, 967 KB) click here