Scientists have developed a 3D-printed implant to aid patients with knee osteoarthritis.
The customized osteotomy for knee alignment therapy has been created to protect the patient’s current knee joint.
The technique was created by scientists at the University of Bath and is intended to speed up and make operations safer.
David Tarbet, 55, one of the first patients to have the treatment, called the procedure “remarkable.”
Mr. Tarbet from Dartmoor, who participated in the high-tibial osteotomy (HTO) safety trial, said: “Although it was quite sore for a couple of months, I was able to get on an indoor bike quite quickly.”
The 3D HTO plates are used to realign a patient’s knee, improving their stability, comfort, and weight-bearing capacity over current generic plates.
Within six months, according to Mr. Tarbet, he was able to finish a competitive bike ride, “which was fantastic.”
“The big difference is there isn’t that guesswork which is happening at the time of surgery,” said Prof. Richie Gill, who developed the product at Bath University’s Centre for Therapeutic Innovation.
“I think more surgeons are interested in doing this type of joint-preserving surgery.”
“You can do it at a sooner point in the disease progression than you can with a knee replacement, so we are hoping to make it more widely available.”
After completing a preliminary safety trial with five patients, 15 more are currently being enlisted across south and west England, Cardiff and Oxford to participate in a trial comparing the traditional knee replacement method with this technique.
Source-BBC
