Stem cell-powered implant set to revolutionise orthopaedic surgery.

Stem cell-powered implant set to revolutionise orthopaedic surgery

Scotland, UK

Friday, August 31, 2012, 15:00 Hrs  [IST]

Scientists at the University of Glasgow are working to harness the regenerative power of stem cells to improve orthopaedic implant surgery.

They are collaborating with surgeons at Glasgow’s Southern General Hospital to develop a new type of orthopaedic implant which could be considerably stronger and more long-lived than the current generation of products.

Currently, implants are commonly made from materials such as polyethylene, stainless steel, titanium or ceramic and have a limited lifespan due to loosening, requiring replacement after 15 or 20 years of use. In hip replacement surgery, the head of the thigh bone is removed and replaced with an implant which is held in place by a rod fixed inside the marrow along the length of the bone.

Marrow is a…