The biological science and Bio-engineering department of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) has successfully designed an artificial knee joint composed of polymer products.The knee joints used in transplantation till now were made from metals alloys which left excruciating pain after surgery, apart from being needed to get replace after stipulated time.
The department professor, Ashok Kumar said that the newly discovered polymer used in artificial joint will decompose automatically after two months of the surgery, while the cartilage will continue to function properly even after.
“We have tested the product in laboratory and now its biological acceptability will be tested on rats, rabbits and goats before clearing the decks for human surgeries. The final result can be expected to emerge within one year,” he elaborated.
This is the first time such a polymer based joint has been made in the country. The project was started three years ago, when the Medical Council of India (MCI) observed an unprecedented rise in the number of knee joint ailments. The institute’s bio-engineering department then decided to take the challenge to find an alternative to the short lived metal joints being used currently.
“After three years of intensive research, we have been able to savour success with the help of leading medical practitioners of the region,” says Kumar.
The entire biological testing is being carried out in association with the leading medical specialists of Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Medical College (GSVM), Kanpur and Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute (SGPGI), Lucknow . These doctors have also expressed astonishment over the discovery of this new compound.
