The Anti-Migration Osteoporotic Thread: A Technology Platform for the Next Generation of Bone Implants for Elderly Patients with Fractures of the Hip, Shoulder, and Spine

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Grant Data
Project Title
The Anti-Migration Osteoporotic Thread: A Technology Platform for the Next Generation of Bone Implants for Elderly Patients with Fractures of the Hip, Shoulder, and Spine
Principal Investigator
Professor Leung, Frankie Ka Li   (Project Coordinator (PC))
Co-Investigator(s)
Professor Zhang Teng Grace   (Co-Investigator)
Professor Lu William Weijia   (Co-Investigator)
Dr Feng Xiaoreng   (Co-Investigator)
Duration
29
Start Date
2020-01-02
Completion Date
2022-06-30
Amount
2939641
Conference Title
The Anti-Migration Osteoporotic Thread: A Technology Platform for the Next Generation of Bone Implants for Elderly Patients with Fractures of the Hip, Shoulder, and Spine
Keywords
Anti-Migration Osteoporotic Thread, Elderly Patients, Fractures of the Hip,Shoulder, and Spine, Next Generation of Bone Implants, Technology Platform
Discipline
Others - Medicine, Dentistry and Health
HKU Project Code
ITS/329/19FP
Grant Type
Innovation and Technology Support Programme (Tier 2)
Funding Year
2019
Status
Completed
Objectives
Aging demographics worldwide have contributed to 250 million elderly patients suffering from osteoporosis, with 10 million new fractures per year caused by this loss of bone strength. Our team published a novel mechanism for the high failure rates (~25%) of typical fracture fixation implants in osteoporotic patients: screw thread designs (e.g. buttresstype) with sharp, stress-concentrating features that easily break through osteoporotic bone tissue under lateral/side loading. Such threads were originally designed to resist implant ""pull-out,"" a common mode of failure for the younger population of the 20th century. We present the Anti-Migration Osteoporotic Thread: a novel thread technology designed to reduce implant failure rates in osteoporotic patients by eliminating stress concentrations under lateral loads. Building on proof-of-concept studies showing >20% improvements compared to typical designs, we propose to prototype and validate several novel implants (femur, humerus, and vertebra) against typical designs. Studies include: (1) biomechanical testing using surrogate osteoporotic bone, (2) biomechanical tests using matched pair cadaver (n=10 each group), and (3) an animal model (n=5 each group) comparing screw loosening rates. These tests are intended to prepare devices based on this promising technology for future regulatory filing and commercialization the US, EU, and China.