Improved tools for corrective surgery of the tibia

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To date, high tibial osteotomy surgery conducted to correct the alignment of the lower leg has relied upon minimal surgical planning technology and rudimentary instrumentation. As a result, the outcome following surgery shows varied patient satisfaction and patient complaints of ongoing pain and discomfort around the operative site. The reasons for this are complex but are thought to relate to non-anatomical plate design and difficulties in the precise delivery of a sensitive bony correction.

Novel plate, wedge and cutting system have been developed to improve the experience of patients in these key orthopaedic procedures.

Tibial Osteotomy

Overloading of the medial (inside) or lateral (outside) of the knee are common causes of early degenerative changes in the knee joint. High tibial osteotomy is an operation designed to realign the tibia (shin bone) to correct loading abnormalities through the knee joint. This provides an attractive ‘joint preserving’ surgical alternative in younger patients to joint replacement surgery which is usually reserved for later patterns of the disease.

Out with the old…

To date, the metal plates used to fix the cut bony surfaces bones in place during a tibial osteotomy have been shown to have a non-anatomical fit to the bone and can result in post-operative problems, where patients experience pain or report general dissatisfaction with the procedure.  Additionally, conducting cutting and drilling of the bone during tibial osteotomy has relied on high levels of expertise and little instrumentation, with the potential for human error.

…and in with the new

A team of engineers and consultant orthopaedic surgeons at Oxford have developed a novel system to improve outcomes and patient experience in tibial osteotomy:

  • A new generic plate design to improve patient comfort and success rates for tibial osteotomy
  • A combined cutting and drilling guide for use during surgery to ensure safe and accurate plate placement
  • Improved ‘bespoke’ wedge designs for use during surgery or as implants to form part of the corrective procedure

Commercialisation

A patent has been filed and a series of plate, wedge and cutting guides are available.  Oxford University Innovation is seeking industrial interest from parties wishing to licence and commercialise this technology.

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