Public Funding for Embody Orthopaedic Limited

Coatings are used in the orthopaedic industry to encourage direct to implant bone ingrowth for long term stabilty. Coatings are proven on certain material groups, such as metal and plastic. We are proposing to clinical assess the feasibility of applying an ingrowth coating to a novel substrate, for which there is no clinical precendent. This will enable superior high functioning implants to be developed.

Hip resurfacing replacement is a bone sparing surgical procedure which treats painful osteoarthritis while restoring optimal hip functionality. This surgical procedure has been all but withdrawn in the UK owing to poorly designed implants leaking metal ions into patients. We have developed a novel non-metallic hip resurfacing implant which is inert in the body, will not leak metal ions and will allow a higher level of functionality and longevity than existing implants. This novel implant will be the first in its class in the world and will be developed and owned in the UK

We want to transform the delivery of knee replacement to the patient from traditional manufacturing practices, into a 'just-in-time' process. Currently every operation needs an entire inventory of prostheses and instrumentation; with our planned patient matched procedure, each patient will need a single 'pizza box' containing exactly what is needed for his or her procedure. The use of additive layer manufacturing allows us to automate the design and manufacture of instruments for each patient at low cost, and in volume. This will reconfigure the supply chain, into a leaner model with significant savings for all the stake-holders, and a superior product that has been planned for each patient, with the tools to enable the surgeon to perform a reliably good job every time.