Image-guided technology for articular cartilage reconstruction

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This project will develop biomedical technology by which cartilage surfaces in human joints can be optimally reconstructed to repair localized defects in the joint. This work has the potential to reduce the cost of surgical intervention, provide earlier treatment, reduce or delay the need for total joint replacement, increase patient health and quality of life, and improve treatment outcomes.The joint cartilage surface is reconstructed with a surgical procedure known as "mosaicplasty", which involves the transfer of small, cylindrical plugs of bone and cartilage from the non-weight-bearing surface of the joint to the location of the defect. A number of plugs may be used to cover the cartilage defect, depending upon the defect size and the desired shape of the reconstructed surface. The procedure is currently done without any computer planning or guidance, and with only minimal use of joint imaging data.Technology will be developed to improve all aspects of treatment, from detection to surgery. New methods will be developed to: detect and model defective cartilage using MRI and using an arthroscopic probe determine the ideal, reconstructed cartilage shape; plan an optimal mosaicplasty surgery by determining an optimal configuration of bone plugs to use; develop new surgical tools for plug cutting and placement; and provide computer-assisted tool guidance in the operating room.This project will train seven MSc students, two PhD students, and a software engineer in the areas of computer-assisted surgery and joint biomechanics. There is a critical shortage in Canada of highly-qualified people in these areas.Three Canadian companies will be closely involved with the research and will benefit directly from technologies generated by the project: specialized surgical tools will be developed with Canica Design, Ottawa tool tracking technology will be built for an arthroscopic probe made by BioSyntech, Inc, Laval; and new surgical interfaces will be incorporated in the surgical guidance software of iGO Technologies, Inc, Kingston.