With factors including obesity and an ever-ageing population increasing in today's society, the prevalence for osteoarthritis has increased drastically, becoming the most common type of arthritis, with at least 3.3% of the world's population being afflicted as of 2016. Total Knee Replacement (TKR), also known as Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) is a surgical intervention whereby the knee weight-bearing surfaces are resurfaced or replaced due to injury, deformity or disease. During the procedure, the damaged bone and associated cartilage are removed from the femur, tibia and patella to be replaced with an artificial joint. The prosthesis is composed of a combination of high-grade polymers and metallic alloys which mimic the movement of the knee. Although the safety and effectiveness of TKRs have increased drastically during the last half a century, this is still considered as a major intervention and there are still several complications and risks accompanying this type of intervention, including blood clots and infections, where studies have revealed that 1 in 200 TKRs in the US resulted in the death of the patient within three months of the procedure.
This research project is part of a three-year project financed by the through the Fusion R&I Technology Development Programme (MALTAKnee R&I-2019-027-T). This research will be carried out by the within the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, in collaboration with the , and as well as with the industrial partner .
The proposed device is a shock absorbing inflated bag which will be utilised instead of the current TKR replacement in an attempt to cover the major defects in the knee joint without requiring the replacement and yet stopping all the pain as well as allowing immediate mobilisation and possible repair. The device will act as a shock absorber, redistributing the force over a larger area than what presently occurs in an arthritic joint, where a particular point of cartilage bears the brunt of the force applied during motion. The bag would reduce pain, since the load would be distributed on the device instead of the exposed femur where the cartilage has been eaten away, whilst allowing normal motion of the joint. The device is to be inserted by arthroscopic means instead of the current invasive surgery being utilised, reducing the discomfort of the patient.
