Originally published on January 3, 2014
Oxford researchers have developed a degradable implant that they say can help improve surgical success rates. The protective patch is designed to wrap around soft tissue repairs, will be trialled in patients with shoulder injuries.
The patch implant was developed using a mix of modern and ancient technology. A manually operated wooden handloom is used to produce the patch's protective cover.
One side of the implant is made of resilient woven material, to help it withstand the stresses of movement after surgery. The other side is made of thread spun a hundred times finer than human hair. This encourages cells to grip and bond, as they would naturally in a much younger patient.
Researchers hope the patch will eventually help patients with other conditions including arthritis, hernias and heart defects.
According to the BBC, there are 10,000 shoulder repair operations carried out each year in England and Wales. The figure has risen by 500% in the last decade. But one in four procedures is not successful, because the tendon tears again.
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