Grant: Project Grant

Estimates predict the number of 45- to 54-year-old people diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA) will double from 1991 to 2031. With an aging population and the steep rise in OA, the demand for total joint replacements will keep growing, as will the need to improve implant longevity. Importantly, patients are expected to return to an active lifestyle, which adds to the longevity requirements of joint replacements. Consequently, improving implant longevity has been an important focus of medical research and industrial R&D. Particles and metal ions from implant wear and corrosion are known to be a major contributing factor to adverse biological reactions and implant failures. It is therefore important to better understand and modulate the biological effects of implant wear particles and metal ions to prolong implant life. Our research focuses on the identification of the molecular mechanisms involved in the biological response to implant wear particles and metal ions. The proposed multidisciplinary research, at the interface of biology, medicine, materials science and engineering, will expand our knowledge of implant failure mechanisms and ultimately lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches to modulate the adverse effects of implant wear particles and metal ions, and thereby increase implant longevity. Therefore, this research has the potential to improve the quality of life for large patient groups and provide tangible benefits to the Canadian health care system.