Orthopedics and Veterinary Medicine Unite for New Patent

Orthopedics is going to the dogs in Valencia, Spain.

Scientists at CEU-UCH Cardenal Herrera University in that city have patented a cutting device they believe can be applied to surgeries to correct deviations in long bones of humans. So far they’ve only tried it on the long bones of dogs.

Orthopedics and Veterinary Medicine History

It’s not unheard of to have orthopedic innovations come from veterinary medicine. The first interbody cage, “Bagby’s Basket” was invented by George Bagby, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon several decades ago. It was used on Triple Crown Winner Seattle Slew, who had been diagnosed with “Wobbler’s Syndrome.” Bagby worked with a veterinary specialist and implanted his “basket” into Seattle Slew’s spine and packed it with the horse’s own bone graft. Hence, the first fusion of a spine using a cage. Stephen Kuslich, M.D., then converted the cage for human use. Gary Michelson, M.D. later patented the cages used by Medtronic plc today.

Math, 3D and a Printer

Using a mathematical model developed by Luis Doménech, professor of Industrial Design Engineering and Product Development at the school, the scientists in Valencia figured out how to use a 3D reconstruction of a bone to design the device. Adjusted to a specific deviated bone, the device enables the surgeon to set the cutting angle that best suits the bone. It also sets the location and orientation of holes needed for the addition of any corrective prosthesis.

To determine the appropriate cutting angles, the bone that is to be operated on is first reconstructed in 3D from a CT scan, and reproduced in plastic with a 3D printer. Then, using the same procedure, the personalized device that the surgeon uses to determine the optimal points and cutting angles is designed and produced. The University said in a January 2015 statement that it only takes two days at a low cost to design the device. It is fit onto the bone with pressure, another innovation of the device.

Device Presentation

So far, the device “has been used in seven orthopedic surgical interventions on dogs in which Iván Serra, professor of Veterinary Medicine at the Valencia Catholic University Saint Vincent Martyr (UCV) cooperated. These surgeries, which in three dimensions corrected deviations in bones, yielded some very satisfying results. They are fine examples of translational research in which knowledge transfer from applied investigation to the field of clinical practice was very rapid, ” said the university statement.

The device was presented to experts in engineering and veterinary medicine at two international congresses; the 16th Mathematical Modelling in Engineering and Human Behaviour Conference, which took place at the Polytechnic University of Valencia in September 2014 and the 17th European Society of Veterinary Orthopaedics and Traumatology Congress, which was organized by the European Society of Veterinary Orthopaedics and Traumatology (ESVOT) in Venice (Italy) from October 2 to 4, 2014.