Medical Technologies IKC | 16
ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES
New tests for knee joint
repair interventions
New research being
carried out in the
University of Leeds’
joint simulation
facility will enable
clinicians to predict
the performance
of tissue repair
interventions in
knee joints.
The team is developing
experimental simulation
methods to assess the
biomechanical and tribological
performance of patellofemoral
interventions – which repair the
kneecap and thighbone joint
– made from decellularised
human or porcine material.
Louise Jennings, Associate
Professor of Medical
Engineering at Leeds is leading
the research. She says: “In the
UK, as many as 11 per cent of
men and 24 per cent of women
over the age of 55 suffer from
isolated patella-femoral arthritis.
“Mixed results have been
reported with current
interventions to repair cartilage,
and this research will help
ensure that new implant
materials being developed for
cartilage repair will be able to
perform biomechanically and
tribologically.
“There is currently no capability
anywhere in the world to
carry out rigorous preclinical assessments of early
repair interventions in the
patellofemoral joint, so this
research will be a much-needed
step forward.”
The test is being developed
for decellularised devices
produced using methods
developed at the University
of Leeds. It is expected the
assessment could also be
extended to other devices made
using synthetic scaffolds.
Natural knee
joint models
A team led by
University of Leeds
Professor Ruth
Wilcox has developed
a computational
model of the knee
that takes into
account the solid and
liquid components
of the soft tissues,
including the
meniscus and
cartilage.
This model will enable the effects
of different treatments for the
knee to be examined. It will
also help our industrial partner,
Simulation Solutions, to develop
natural knee joint simulators that
can be used to test and validate
regenerative devices for soft
tissue repair.
would be candidates for different
treatments.
The model and simulation
systems are now being further
developed to take into account
the variation in knee anatomy
from one patient to another
through a Medical Technologies
IKC proof of concept award.
This is crucial in helping to
identify which patient groups
“By having a model that can take
this into account, we can help
ensure new devices are more
effective and enable surgeons to
carry out interventions as safely
as possible.” n
“Damage to the knee joint or
surgical interventions to repair
damage change how the joint
functions, which can have follow
on impact on the remaining soft
tissue,” says Professor Wilcox.