Artificial hip and knee joints are wearing out too soon—often after 10 to 15 years of use—and researchers at the Voland College of Engineering and architecture at Washington State University (WSU) are determined to do something about it.
$1.8 Million NIH Grant Targets Implant Longevity
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Susmita Bose, Ph.D., professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and her colleagues, have received a five-year, $1.8 million National Institutes of Health grant to improve the way bone implants integrate into the body.
Every year in the U.S. about one million titanium joint replacements are installed using acrylic bone cement. These materials, according to Bose, are foreign to the human body, do not bond strongly with the tissues surrounding them and usually fail after a decade or more. For younger patients, this presents a problem as they then have to go on to have revision surgery.
Bose plans to attack the problem by improving the bone-like material that is used as a coating on the titanium-based implants. The researchers will mix ions commonly found in the body—such as magnesium, zinc and calcium—into their coatings and will add tiny amounts of medicine, such as antibiotics or osteoporosis medications, to the coatings.
Bose and research team member Amit Bandyopadhyay, Ph.D., already have received patents on their innovative method of delivering medicine to a patient, which could be used like a time-release drug to fight infection or to build bone strength.
“This work could have a profound effect for younger patients and for those who undergo revision surgeries where bone volume is compromised, ” said Bose. “A few extra years for these hip or knee replacements can make a tremendous difference, ” said Bandyopadhyay, also of WSU’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering.
According to the University press release, Bandyopadhyay and Bose have been leaders for more than a decade in 3D printing of bone materials and improved materials for bone implants. In preliminary studies, they have used nanomaterials to make coatings that are stronger and more biocompatible than those currently available.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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