3D Printed Joint Replacement Technology Secures £2.5m Funding through OSSTEC Initiative
In the realm of healthcare innovation, a London-based startup named OSSTEC is making waves with its groundbreaking 3D-printed joint replacement implants. The company, which has recently secured £2.5 million in funding, is set to bring its technology to market and improve patient outcomes.
OSSTEC's innovation lies in the creation of partial knee implants with integrated articulating surfaces and porous cementless fixation, all produced in a single build. This approach replicates natural bone structures, promoting biologic fixation and allowing the implant to bond directly with the bone without the use of bone cement—a known cause of complications in traditional implants.
The company's key innovations include printing at higher densities to allow for polished articulating surfaces for smooth joint motion, as well as porous surfaces for bone ingrowth. By focusing on partial knee replacements, OSSTEC aims to expand adoption, as half of patients are suitable candidates but these procedures are currently underused.
The benefits of OSSTEC's technology are twofold. For patients, it promises improved clinical outcomes, reducing failure rates and improving recovery and activity levels. For surgeons and the wider healthcare system, it offers cost-effectiveness both short and long term, while simplifying surgical workflows.
OSSTEC's technology addresses a significant global knee osteoarthritis population (approximately 1.3 million currently affected) and tackles the high (~35%) failure rates of existing implants through improved cementless fixation and bone healing materials. The funding will allow OSSTEC to launch in the market and scale its impact with strategic partners in the medical field.
Max Munford, PhD, CEO and Founder of OSSTEC, believes the funding will bring the groundbreaking technology to market and improve patient outcomes. Dr Alex Liddle, MBBS, BSc, DPhil, FRCS (Orth), the Chief Medical Officer at OSSTEC, stated that OSSTEC's 3D printing technology eliminates mechanisms of failure seen in previous cementless knee replacements.
Johnathan Matlock, General Partner and co-founder at Empirical Ventures, sees OSSTEC as an example of scientific discovery turning into real-world impact with huge potential to reform healthcare practices. The company's first product applies this technology in less invasive knee implants to stimulate bone growth.
In summary, OSSTEC leverages 3D printing innovations to create partial knee implants with robust, biologically integrated fixation and high-performance articulating surfaces, improving outcomes and reducing costs. Their technology has strong potential to increase the use of partial knee replacements and impact the orthopedic implant market significantly.
- The digital health industry is set to witness further advancements as London-based startup OSSTEC, with its 3D-printed joint replacement implants, promises to revolutionize medical-conditions like knee osteoarthritis.
- Beyond cost-effectiveness for the healthcare system and simplified surgical workflows, OSSTEC's health-and-wellness technology is projected to deliver improved clinical outcomes for patients, reducing failure rates and enhancing recovery and activity levels.
- With the successful implementation of technology in less invasive knee implants that stimulate bone growth, OSSTEC showcases the real-world impact that science and technology can have on healthcare practices, marking a crucial step forward in digital health innovation.
