News
ACL Fixation Device - Trial Results Looking Good
Computer modelling of a new anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) fixation device, developed by the University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, in collaboration with the University of Manchester, has demonstrated its potential to exceed the performance of existing devices.
ACL injury affects 1 in 3500 people, resulting in 95,000 new ACL ruptures per year. ACL reconstruction can involve using a patient’s own hamstring tendon to form a quadruple graft that is secured in the tibia and femur. The failure rate of ACL reconstruction is between 5 and 25 per cent and the main cause is loss of graft fixation within the tibia.
The University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust was awarded £25,000 in 2005 from the
TrusTECH Pathfinder Development Fund, to work in collaboration with the University of Manchester to develop a new ACL fixation device. The award has been used to refine the design of the device, conduct finite element analysis (computer modelling) to determine how well it works and pay for the fees associated with filing a patent.
The results of the computer modelling suggest that the new device has a pull-out force that is almost twice that of existing devices, therefore ACL reconstruction undertaken using the device is more likely to succeed. TrusTECH is now working with the researchers and the University of Manchester Intellectual Property Ltd (UMIP) to find a commercial partner willing to develop the device further so that it can undergo more testing, with a view to taking a licence to manufacture and sell the final product.
For further information, contact Dr Joanne Thomas, TrusTECH Senior Technology Manager ( T: 0161 276 6965).