Low-cost locally manufacturable unilateral imperial external fixator for low- and middle-income countries.

Treating open fractures in long bones can be challenging and if not performed properly can lead to poor outcomes such as mal/non-union, deformity, and amputation. One of the most common methods of treating these fracture types is temporary external fixation followed by definitive fixation. The shortage of high-quality affordable external fixators is a long-recognised need, particularly in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). This research aimed to develop a low-cost device that can be manufactured locally to international standards. This can provide surge capacity for conflict zones or in response to unpredictable incidents and situations. The fixator presented here and developed by us, the Imperial external fixator, was tested on femur and tibia specimens under 100 cycles of 100 N compression-tension and the results were compared with those of the Stryker Hoffmann 3 frame. The Imperial device was stiffer than the Stryker Hoffmann 3 with a lower median interfragmentary motion (of 0.94 vs. 1.48 mm). The low-cost, easy to use, relatively lightweight, and easy to manufacture (since minimum skillset and basic workshop equipment and materials are needed) device can address a critical shortage and need in LMICs particularly in conflict-affected regions with unpredictable demand and supply. The device is currently being piloted in three countries for road traffic accidents, gunshot wounds and other conflict trauma-including blast cohorts.

Micromotion and Push-Out Evaluation of an Additive Manufactured Implant for Above-the-Knee Amputees.

In comparison to through-knee amputees the outcomes for above-the-knee amputees are relatively poor; based on this novel techniques have been developed. Most current percutaneous implant-based solutions for transfemoral amputees make use of high stiffness intramedullary rods for skeletal fixation, which can have risks including infection, femoral fractures, and bone resorption due to stress shielding. This work details the cadaveric testing of a short, cortical bone stiffness-matched subcutaneous implant, produced using additive manufacture, to determine bone implant micromotion and push-out load. The results for the micromotions were all <20 µm and the mean push-out load was 2,099 Newtons. In comparison to a solid control, the stiffness-matched implant exhibited significantly higher micromotion distributions and no significant difference in terms of push-out load. These results suggest that, for the stiffness-matched implant at time zero, osseointegration would be facilitated and that the implant would be securely anchored. For these metrics, this provides justification for the use of a short-stem implant for transfemoral amputees in this subcutaneous application. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 37:2104-2111, 2019.

Design of an improved surgical instrument for the removal of bladder tumours.

The aim of this work was to design an add-on instrument that could potentially decrease the recurrence of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. The current surgical approach permits spilled tumour cells to disseminate within the bladder, re-implant and cause tumour recurrence. An add-on instrument has been designed in the form of an opening cone intended to provide space for surgery and yet reduce tumour cell spillage and dissemination. A prototype was manufactured using the shape memory metal Nitinol which was activated using an electrical current to facilitate opening and supplemented with latex to provide a sealed environment. The prototype was tested in comparable surgical conditions utilising porcine bladder wall and blue dye to simulate tumour cells. It was demonstrated that the vast majority of dye was retained within the device, supporting the proposed aim.

Viscoelastic properties of a spinal posterior dynamic stabilisation device.

The purpose of this study was to quantify the frequency dependent viscoelastic properties of two types of spinal posterior dynamic stabilisation devices. In air at 37°C, the viscoelastic properties of six BDyn 1 level, six BDyn 2 level posterior dynamic stabilisation devices (S14 Implants, Pessac, France) and its elastomeric components (polycarbonate urethane and silicone) were measured using Dynamic Mechanical Analysis. The viscoelastic properties were measured over the frequency range 0.01-30Hz. The BDyn devices and its components were viscoelastic throughout the frequency range tested. The mean storage stiffness and mean loss stiffness of the BDyn 1 level device, BDyn 2 level device, silicone component and polycarbonate urethane component all presented a logarithmic relationship with respect to frequency. The storage stiffness of the BDyn 1 level device ranged from 95.56N/mm to 119.29N/mm, while the BDyn 2 level storage stiffness ranged from 39.41N/mm to 42.82N/mm. BDyn 1 level device and BDyn 2 level device loss stiffness ranged from 10.72N/mm to 23.42N/mm and 4.26N/mm to 9.57N/mm, respectively. No resonant frequencies were recorded for the devices or its components. The elastic property of BDyn 1 level device is influenced by the PCU and silicone components, in the physiological frequency range. The viscoelastic properties calculated in this study may be compared to spinal devices and spinal structures.