Biological Finger Joint Replacement

骨关节炎(OA)是加拿大最常见的关节炎类型，26岁以上的人中至少有6.8%的人患有手指关节炎。在缺乏疾病改良治疗的情况下，目前的治疗方式旨在减轻疼痛。这些治疗可以缓解症状，但不能阻止导致这种疾病特征变化的过程。这些治疗的失败通常最终导致关节置换手术。目前报道的人工手指关节置换的结果表明，通过这种植入物恢复手功能的失败率很高，而且缺乏疗效。我们已经开发了一种替代的关节修复的生物学方法，包括形成个性化的生物替代物，旨在通过骨长入安全固定，同时呈现一个由软骨衬里的表面，将模仿自然的关节形状。随着骨替代成分的降解并被自然组织(骨)取代，这种替代部分将允许关节完全再生到所需的功能。本研究计划的目标是在临床前的动物模型中开发和评估一种小关节生物关节置换术。其目的是设计一种关节替代物，可用于修复受骨性关节炎或任何炎症性关节炎(如牛皮癣或类风湿性关节炎)影响的手指或手腕关节的表面。根据拟议研究的结果，将有可能进一步将我们的方法转化为手关节炎患者的临床治疗。

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis in Canada, and finger OA affects atleast 6.8% of individuals over the age of 26 years. In the absence of disease modifyingtreatments, current therapeutic modalities are aimed at reducing pain. These treatmentsalleviate symptoms but do not prevent the processes that result in the changes characteristicof this disease. Failure of these treatments usually culminates in joint replacement surgery.Current studies reporting outcomes of artificial finger joint replacements have highlighted thehigh rate of failure and lack of efficacy in restoring hand function by such implants. We havedeveloped an alternative biological approach to joint repair that involves formation of apersonalized biological replacement designed for secure fixation by bone ingrowth whilepresenting a surface lined by cartilage that will mimic the native joint form. In time as the bonesubstitute component degrades and is replaced by natural tissues (bone), this replacementpart will allow for complete joint regeneration to the desired function.The goal of this research proposal is to develop and evaluate a small joint biologic jointreplacement in a pre-clinical animal model. The aim is to design a joint replacement that canbe used to resurface a joint in the finger or wrist affected by either osteoarthritis or anyinflammatory arthritis such as psoriatic or rheumatoid arthritis.With the results obtained from the proposed studies it will be possible to progress towardstranslating our approach into a clinical treatment for people with hand arthritis.