Stem cells could mean stronger orthopaedic implants

3 September 2012

Scientists in Glasgow are using stem cells to develop orthopaedic implants that could be considerably stronger and more durable than current products.

The team from Glasgow University and Southern General Hospital has designed a plastic surface that encourages bone cells to grow around it and so could be used to strengthen the bond between an implant and a patients bone.

Mesenchymal stem cells found in bone marrow can divide into other types of cells such as skin, muscle or bone when they receive the correct messages from the body. Glasgows surface would replace these messages to encourage bone growth.

The surface, created at Glasgow Universitys James Watt Nanofabrication Centre, is covered in tiny pits 120 nanometres across, said researcher Dr Matthew Dalby in a statement.

When stem cells are placed onto the surface, they grow and spread across the pits in a way that ensures they differentiate into therapeutically useful cells.

This will help the implant site repair itself much more effectively than has ever been possible before and could well mean that implants will last for the rest of a patients life.

Conventional implants made from polyethylene, stainless steel, titanium or ceramic dont have this kind of surface and so the stem cells around them typically divide into soft tissue which, combined with the natural loss of bone density that occurs as people age, can weaken the bond between the implant and the body.

The researchers want to manufacture the implants from an advanced polymer known as PEEK-OPTIMA, made by UK firm Invibio Biomaterial Solutions, to ensure they are as strong as possible.

One of the main selling points of PEEK is that it is very strong, has excellent stability and is very resistant to wear, said researcher Dr Nikolaj Gadegaard.

More:
Stem cells could mean stronger orthopaedic implants