Descrizione del progetto
Nuovo impianto per l’artrite delle piccole articolazioni
La prevalenza di artrite delle piccole articolazioni nelle mani e nei piedi è in aumento a causa dell’invecchiamento della popolazione. I giovani adulti stanno inoltre diventando sempre più vulnerabili all’artrite delle articolazioni delle dita a causa dell’uso prolungato di computer e altri dispositivi elettronici. Le articolazioni artificiali attualmente disponibili sono invasive, sacrificano i tessuti e non ripristinano la cinematica naturale. Poiché uno degli obiettivi della società moderna è la vita indipendente durante l’invecchiamento, sono necessari nuovi metodi affidabili per trattare l’artrite articolare. Il progetto APRICOT, finanziato dall’UE, propone un impianto auto-lubrificante conforme e avanzato, che è minimamente invasivo, adatto a qualsiasi fascia di età e preserva quasi interamente l’osso e i tessuti molli. Il progetto dimostrerà il concetto, supportando lo sviluppo di un trattamento rivoluzionario per l’artrite delle piccole articolazioni.
Obiettivo
Small joint arthritis presents a large societal burden throughout Europe. The largest pan-European study on osteoarthritis (OA) of the hand observed an average incidence of 16.3%. An ageing population is experiencing OA due to increased levels of obesity, and due to people remaining active later in life, imposing long term loading on their joints. The rise of technology has also increased the incidence of finger joint arthritis in young adults as a result of using electronic hand held devices. People need to be independent later in life and new solutions are required, particularly for small joints, where success rates of artificial joints are very low (revision rates of up to 40% have been reported for finger prostheses). This is because the implants are invasive, sacrifice large amounts of tissue, and most critically, they do not restore the original kinematics of the joint, leading to pain and discomfort due to unnatural loading of the tissues. We aim to develop APRICOT, a novel, extremely thin, self-lubricating compliant implant that is placed between the articulating surfaces of the affected joint. It is minimally invasive, does not remove healthy bone, is suitable for patients of all ages, and does not require the use of general anaesthetics. Successful proof of this radical concept will deliver a revolutionary means of treating small joint arthritis and contribute positively to society as a whole by reducing the burden of pain for millions of sufferers, and by empowering individuals to re-integrate with society with confidence. Small joint reconstruction is predicted to experience the fastest growth globally due to the number of emerging markets and the ageing population. The APRICOT concept therefore represents an opportunity for Europe to penetrate the orthopaedic market and gain a competitive advantage with a game changing innovative device.
Campo scientifico
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Invito a presentare proposte
Vedi altri progetti per questo bandoBando secondario
H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-2020-01
Meccanismo di finanziamento
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinatore
SO17 1BJ Southampton
Regno Unito