Biological Finger Joint Replacement

骨关节炎（OA）是加拿大最常见的关节炎类型，手指OA影响至少6.8%的26岁以上的个体。在缺乏疾病改善治疗的情况下，目前的治疗方式旨在减轻疼痛。这些治疗缓解了症状，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以关节置换手术告终。目前报道人工手指关节置换术的研究结果强调了这种植入物在恢复手部功能方面的高失败率和缺乏疗效。我们已经开发了一种替代的生物方法来修复关节，包括形成个性化的生物替代物，设计用于通过骨长入来安全固定，同时呈现一个由软骨内衬的表面，模仿天然关节形式。当骨替代物降解并被自然组织（骨）所取代时，这个替代物将允许完全的关节再生到所需的功能。本研究计划的目标是在临床前动物模型中开发和评估一种小型关节生物关节置换。其目的是设计一种关节替代物，可以用于修复受骨关节炎或任何炎症性关节炎（如银屑病或类风湿关节炎）影响的手指或手腕关节。有了这些研究的结果，将有可能把我们的方法转化为治疗手关节炎的临床方法。

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.