Many people every year, undergo joint replacements for various reasons. While most are happy with the results, some 10% of the patients have to go through the trauma of repeat replacements. The most common reason for this failure is loosening of the implant. It was time to think of a way to minimize this failure.
The implants used in surgery are mostly made of titanium. These implants bond with the patients own bone using the body’s natural healing process. In some, cases this mechanism fails, leading to failure of surgery.
The research is on to test the results of coating of the implant with bioactive lipid called lysophosphatidic acid (LPA).
What is Lysophosphatidic acid? It is a natural fatty molecule that functions with Vitamin D to promote bone formation. LPA is coated on the implant in a simple process, at room temperature.
The other advantages of coating included lower infection rate as it deters the attachment of bacteria infective organism including bacteria. The coated implant was also found resilient to washing and sterilizationmethods, necessary before an implant is inserted in place.
AT the next stage, the aim is to establish how strong and stable the coating is once the implant is fitted into its place.
