Possiblility of osseointegration with electrodes

Developing a technique for osseointegration (connecting prosthetics to tissue) in servicemen and women suffering blast injuries has multiple potentials for faster recovery, and reduction of the chances of developing HO (heterotopic ossification). HO is the development of metabolic, random bone tissue growths projecting into soft tissue surrounding the bone. The cause of HO is thought to be injuries from the blast itself, but ill fitting prosthetics have been shown to increase HO in servicemen and women recovering from blast effects. If a prosthetic was connected directly to the skeletal tissue rather than rely on socket tolerance, these patients could perhaps continue to live an active lifestyle, or serve again after a quick recovery.

In order to osseointegrate a prosthesis quickly, this study focused on the possible use of electrodes to promote homing of osteoblasts and other materials essential for tissue growth to connect the prosthesis. The researchers focused on the electric potential difference needed for effective tissue development in patients who already had HO development due to blast injury, and those without HO. It was found that HO provided resistance to the current injected into the patient, and that a higher potential difference had to be maintained in order to promote substantial tissue growth. Therefore, in order to use electrodes to aid osseointegration in HO patients, methods to maintain a higher voltage difference safely or to manipulate the properties of HO would need to be developed. However, electrodes could significantly help tissue regeneration in the other amputees, and serve as an effective catalyst for attaching the prosthesis to the tissue of a blast victim.

This research interested me because I feel that areas of study dealing with those who serve our country is often overlooked, even though they live some of the most physically and mentally taxing lifestyles. I would enjoy working in this field in the future due to the numerous possibilities that are yet to be explored in military health and welfare. Also, the concept of attaching prosthetics to tissue through homing rather than relying on socket fits is a useful application of the SNBAL 2 discussed last week, in which the feasibility of the body as a bioreactor was discussed.

Source: http://www.springerlink.com/content/pv5576234j57v867/fulltext.pdf

Shelby Bieritz