Institution news
According to the National Joint Registry’s 14th Annual Report, in 2016, OA was recorded as the main indication for surgery in 99% of knee replacement patients.
In OA, the cartilage slowly wears away, reducing the space between the joint. This in turn causes rubbing and friction and over time, the joint becomes stiff, immobile and extremely painful.
Many thousands of knee replacements are performed each year for OA, and the operation can give substantial pain relief in cases where other treatments haven’t helped enough. Surgical techniques are continually improving and replacements now last on average over 15 years.
Whilst joint replacement surgery is, in the most part, a2 highly successful operation, it is estimated that up to 1 in 5 of patients are not satisfied following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). In TKA, three main parts of the knee are replaced: the femoral component, the tibial component and the patellar component. Each component is made up of durable materials such as metal and plastic, and are attached to the bones using screws and cement. Failure of treatment for knee disease pain and trauma following knee replacement is largely dominated by failures occurring at the interfaces.
Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has shown to be a good and less invasive alternative to TKA. This procedure is commonly used for the treatment of isolated, compartmental OA of the knee.
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers spoke with Richard van Arkel, Lecturer at Imperial College London about future developments in the field “The impact combined partial knee arthroplasty could have on the treatment of bi-compartmental knee disease is extremely interesting. Using two smaller implants, instead of a larger and more invasive total knee arthroplasty, would help preserve ligaments and bone, and offers scope for more patient tailored treatment to improve functional outcomes. Yet, the use of two devices instead of one increases complexity and potentially increases the risk of complications. The question is, do the benefits offset the risks?”
The NJR’s annual report states that a total of 108,713 knee replacement procedures were recorded across England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2016 - a 3.8% increase from the previous year. With the number of knee replacements increasing annually, there is a growing market for knee replacement technologies. With this in mind, it is becoming ever more important to bridge the gap between medicine and engineering.
“Orthopaedic innovation requires close collaboration between clinicians and engineers.” Richard van Arkel
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers have teamed up with leading researchers to produce a two-day conference that will provide a forum for leaders in the field and early career researchers to discuss the latest innovative technologies and approaches for improving interfaces.
The Institution’s Engineering the Knee 2018 conference will be showcasing an Osteoarthritis Technology NetworkPlus (OATech+) session that will include talks from Cathy Holt, Philip Rowe and Deborah Mason. The OATech+ Network brings together leaders in the field that are looking to identify and address technology-based knowledge gaps in the field of OA research and technology. The multidisciplinary project is working towards improving patient outcomes.