Laboratory equipment for the study of periprosthetic osteolysis

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Total joint arthroplasty, i.e., the complete artificial replacement of a natural joint (specifically hip and knee), is a surgical procedure that generally provides relief of pain and restoration of joint function. In 2003, more than 50,000 hip and knee replacements were performed in Canada, and 35% of these procedures were performed in patients less than 65 years old. Along with this increase in life expectancy has come a need to prolong prosthesis survivorship to avoid complex revision surgery and its associated morbidity and mortality. One of the major causes of total joint replacement failure is aseptic loosening due to bone destruction around the prosthesis (periprosthetic osteolysis). Wear particles have been demonstrated to be largely involved in the induction of periprosthetic osteolysis by stimulating the surrounding cells, leading to the release of inflammatory mediators. The goal of the proposed research is to identify the biological mechanisms involved in periprosthetic osteolysis by analyzing cell response to wear particles, and modulate this cell response and molecular mechanisms by using engineered nanospheres, specifically designed to target those cells and mechanisms. A laminar airflow workstation, a dual cell culture chamber and an ultra low-temperature freezer are requested to perform the cell culture and store cell and tissue samples at low temperature. A real-time PCR system is requested to analyze gene expression in macrophages exposed to wear particles, and a Cell Lab Quanta SC Flow Cytometer is requested to analyze cell response to wear particles or to nanospheres used for therapeutic treatments of periprosthetic osteolysis (e.g., analysis of particle phagocytosis, cell viability, cell apoptosis, cell proliferation and different molecular mechanisms pathways using multicolor excitation). This research will lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches using nanotechnology to modulate periprosthetic osteolysis. Results will also significantly add to our current knowledge on implant failure mechanisms and lead to the prolongation of implant longevity.