Nomination "Responsible for those ...": The staff of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering has invented a product that will facilitate joint surgery.
The use of the scientists' development makes it possible to abandon repeated surgery and accelerate the rehabilitation of animals," Izvestia writes with reference to specialists from the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at MISIS University. According to experts, the introduction of such a prosthesis will make the services of veterinarians more accessible, since now materials for such operations are expensive.
The construction for arthrodesis is essentially an "internal plaster" that fixes the affected joint. This work is being carried out within the framework of a grant under the supervision of Natalia Anisimova, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor of MISIS, leading researcher at the Laboratory of Cellular Immunity at the N.N. Blokhin National Research Medical Center of Oncology.
Thanks to the new invention, scientists were able to solve two very important problems in animal prosthetics. First– today, arthrodesis structures use metals and metal alloys that are stronger than bone and can destroy it. Therefore, after one operation, as a rule, another one is needed to remove the plate. Secondly, during surgery, surgeons are forced to shape the angle of the joint bend almost manually, we can say "by eye."
"Our arthrodesis design is performed individually according to the CT scan of the animal, where the angle between the bones forming the joint is precisely set. After printing the product, we fix the expanded temporary shape of the structure, because it is in this form that it is attached to the bones. After that, the "shape memory" effect is activated by heating and the design returns to its original set angle," says Polina Kovaleva, an assistant at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at MISIS University.
This approach makes it possible to achieve optimal joint compatibility, to fix them in the position necessary to maintain the symmetry of the musculoskeletal system, experts say. And this, in turn, reduces the lameness of the animal.
"Now we have reached the stage where the biocompatibility of composite materials has been proven and the installation method on mockups has been worked out. At the moment, we are communicating with veterinarians in order to test the product in a clinical case. We plan that surgeons will implant the arthrodesis in the coming months," continues Polina Kovaleva.
The developments of the scientific team of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at MISIS University are not primarily related to veterinary medicine. They are mainly focused on medicine. But the case determined a lot.
"The defining story happened about 6 years ago, when the owners of Lapuni the cat treated him for sarcoma. The animal needed to amputate a paw or part of a bone. They contacted us because at that time we were engaged in bone implants. Colleagues made a bone implant, populated it with the cells of the cat itself. And he got used to it very well, he even fought with this paw. And then such implants were successfully implanted in both Great danes and beagles," Polina Kovaleva shares her memories.
The developments of the scientific team of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at MISIS University specifically for animals did not stop there. A little later, the veterinary clinic asked scientists to come up with something for dogs with laryngeal collapse. At that time, experts used a titanium alloy with shape memory. This, among other things, opened the way to the development of an already polymer structure for arthrodesis with shape memory.
Photos of the MISIS University press service.