Silk-Ti Technology: Combination of robust, tissue regenerative cartilage and bone repair materials for development of mechanically functional, biologically integrating osteochondral implan

骨关节炎是一种致残性疾病，由软骨和身体关节中的底层骨骼受损引起。英国关节炎研究估计，2017年至2027年，骨关节炎将花费NHS 1182亿英镑。骨关节炎唯一被广泛接受的治疗方法是用大型永久性植入物置换关节。这需要进行大手术，需要几个月的时间才能完全恢复，虽然通常成功，但结果不同，不建议年轻患者使用。由于骨关节炎可以在人的早期发展，这意味着许多患者目前无法得到有效治疗。英国小型医疗技术公司Orthox和大型跨国公司斯特赖克已经开发出修复软骨和骨骼的创新材料。Orthox创建了FibroFix：一种独特的软骨修复材料，由丝制成，结合了人类软骨的光滑，光滑，弹性和坚固的特性，具有支持患者自身软骨组织再生的结构。FibroFix在临床前和早期人体试验中表现出了希望。斯特赖克发明了Trititum：一种由钛3D打印的材料，可以与骨骼编织在一起。Tritonium已在患者中显示出良好的效果，并用于脊柱，髋关节和膝关节的植入物。在过去的两年中，合作伙伴合作将这些软骨和骨修复材料结合起来，创造了Silk-Ti技术：旨在替代受损骨和软骨的早期植入物。这些植入物将试图为那些软骨和骨骼受损的患者以及可能患有骨关节炎的患者提供一种痛苦小得多的手术，这种手术比关节置换手术切除的健康组织少。这与两种材料的强度相结合，也可以使患者更快地从手术中恢复，而长期患者自己的软骨和骨组织应该生长到植入物中，将它们牢固地固定在适当的位置，并帮助植入物更好地发挥作用。斯特赖克还有一个机器人手术系统，可以帮助外科医生将Silk-Ti植入物更准确地安装到关节中，从而获得更好的结果。Silk-Ti材料在机械和早期手术测试中显示出令人鼓舞的初步结果。该项目将：1\。进一步发展Orthox的Silk-Ti制造能力，2\。完成组合材料的综合力学测试，以确认植入物在实验室中的工作3\。确定最适合Silk-Ti技术的接头4\。为这些关节开发早期Silk-Ti植入物。对这些植入物进行初步测试。

Osteoarthritis is a crippling disease caused by damage to cartilage and the underlying bone in the body's joints. Arthritis Research UK have estimated that osteoarthritis will cost the NHS £118.2bn between 2017 and 2027\. The only widely accepted treatment for osteoarthritis is replacement of the joint with a large, permanent implant. This requires major surgery which takes several months to fully recover from and while often successful there are variable outcomes and it is not recommended for younger patients. As osteoarthritis can develop early in a person's life this means many patients cannot currently be treated effectively.Orthox, a small UK medical-technology company, and Stryker, a major multinational company, have developed innovative materials to repair cartilage and bone. Orthox has created FibroFix: a unique cartilage repair material made from silk that combines the smooth, slippery, resilient and robust characteristics of human cartilage with a structure that supports regrowth of the patients own cartilage tissue. FibroFix has shown promise in pre-clinical and early human trials. Stryker have invented Tritanium: a material that is 3D printed from titanium and can knit with bone. Tritanium has demonstrated good results in patients and is used in implants for the spine, hip and knee.Over the previous 2 years, the partners have collaborated to combine these cartilage and bone repair materials, creating Silk-Ti technology: early stage implants which aim to replace damaged bone and cartilage. These implants will attempt to offer patients who have damaged their cartilage and bone, and who may also have osteoarthritis, a much less painful operation which removes less healthy tissue than joint replacement surgery. This, combined with both material's strength, may also allow patients to recover much more quickly from the surgery while long-term the patient's own cartilage and bone tissue should grow into the implants, holding them firmly in place and helping the implant to function better. Stryker also have a robotic surgery system which may help surgeons fit Silk-Ti implants more accurately into the joint leading to better results.Silk-Ti materials have shown encouraging preliminary results in mechanical and early surgical testing.This project will:1\. Further develop Silk-Ti manufacturing capability at Orthox,2\. Complete comprehensive mechanical testing of the combined materials to confirm the implants work in the lab3\. Identify the most appropriate joints for the Silk-Ti technology to target4\. Develop early stage Silk-Ti implants for these joints.5\. Conduct preliminary testing of these implants.