Optimisation of osteochondral grafts for the treatment of cartilage lesions

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This PhD will involve using engineering methods such as finite element analysis and mechanical testing to examine the performance of 'osteochondral graft' implants for the repair of damaged cartilage in the knee, addressing a pressing clinical challenge. Osteoarthritis of the knee affects over 4.5 million people in the UK, it causes the joint to become painful and stiff, limiting a patient's movement and reducing quality of life. There is a clinical need for earlier stage, less-invasive, treatments to prevent or delay knee replacement surgery, which is costly and not suitable for all patients. Repair of small areas of damaged cartilage with osteochondral (cartilage + bone) grafts has shown some promise, but the clinical outcomes are variable.This PhD will use a combination of novel experimental testing and finite element (FE) modelling methods to examine the mechanical performance of osteochondral grafts, with the aim of identifying the key design features of the graft that affect performance. The study will include the use of unique in vitro testing equipment and microCT imaging facilities to examine the mechanical performance of cadaveric human and sheep knees following grafting. Image-based FE methods will be used to evaluate the graft performance, extending current methods to examine graft subsidence and damage to adjacent tissues. There will be opportunities to validate the models against both experimental data from Leeds and recent in vivo sheep studies undertaken by collaborators at UCL. The combined experimental and FE approach will be used to evaluate the effects of graft design changes, and propose how grafts can best be matched to different patient characteristics.