Grant: Collaborative Health Research Projects (NSERC partnered)

Damage to the knee can limit activities and cause severe pain in patients. In cases where nonsurgical treatments are no longer helpful, total knee replacement is often utilized. In 2010-11 there were estimated to have been over 53,000 knee replacement operations performed in Canada, around 6% of which were revision surgeries. However, the metal implants used to replace the damaged tissue can lead to post-surgery complications including bacterial infection, wear and/or loosening of the implant. This explains the urgent need to develop disruptive technologies that can not only provide the structural support of metal, but also promote healing and fight infection. Bioactive glasses and ceramics are candidate materials as they display the ability to bond to bone to promote healing and implant stability, and can be formulated to have anti-bacterial properties. The proposed collaborative health research project will develop a novel glass-ceramic material that can be used, in the first instance, as a tibial augment in revision knee surgery. The implant will offer structural support and promote healing by fusing with the patient's own bone and by having mechanical properties similar to human bone. The implant will also prevent infection by releasing anti-bacterial ions at the site of surgery. If successful, this innovative material could also be extended to other joint surgeries including those around the hip and spine. At a time when combined Canadian public and private spending on health care is almost $192B, amounting to 11.7% of total gross domestic product, such a disruptive technology could revolutionize surgical approaches, reduce the need for revisions, promote considerable savings for the healthcare system and improve quality of life in Canada; crucial as our aging population is expected to further propel health costs upward.