- University of Sheffield researchers are leading a global effort to develop new ankle replacements for young people with ankle osteoarthritis - known as OA
- OA hits a uniquely young, active demographic - often starting in a person’s 20s or 30s following a severe injury through exercise, sports or accidents
- The disease is difficult to treat and can leave young people with a devastating compromise: undergo an operation that permanently locks the foot solid (fusion) or accept an artificial joint that may fail in a decade
- Sheffield is leading a global team of scientists and engineers to develop the next generation of ankle implants that will restore mobility, remove pain and last a lifetime, in what is the EPSRC’s biggest-ever funding award to healthcare technology research
The next generation of ankle replacements that could restore mobility in young people suffering from a debilitating but overlooked condition, are being developed by a global team of researchers.
Led by Professor Claire Brockett from University of Sheffield’s Insigneo Institute, the research is set to revolutionise treatment for ankle osteoarthritis - a degenerative joint disease that can leave young people facing decades of agonising, progressive mobility loss during their most active years of life.
Unlike knee or hip osteoarthritis, which often develop naturally with age, ankle OA is overwhelmingly post-traumatic - triggered by severe fractures or sprains. This means the majority of people with ankle OA are diagnosed at a much younger age than those who typically need a joint replacement, after sustaining injuries from exercise, sports or accidents.
Current treatments for ankle OA are limited. They range from early management of the disease through physiotherapy, specialised footwear and steroid injections to surgery when the condition worsens. However, as the ankle is a complex joint with a number of small bones and tendons surrounding it, this makes successful surgical intervention difficult to achieve.
A lack of investment in current treatments means that even when surgeries are successful, patients are often left with chronic pain or limited movement. Consequently, both patients and surgeons tend to postpone the procedure, viewing surgery only as a last resort.
Previous studies have found that the daily physical and mental toll of living with advanced ankle OA is so severe that it is statistically comparable to suffering from end-stage kidney failure or congestive heart failure, according to patients in the SF-36 survey that measures health-related quality of life.
Now, an international team of scientists and engineers led by the University of Sheffield has been awarded £12 million - the biggest-ever grant awarded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for healthcare technology research - to develop next generation ankle implants that will restore mobility, reduce pain and last a lifetime.
Professor Claire Brockett, Professor of Biomechanics at the University of Sheffield, said: “Ankle osteoarthritis leaves patients facing a painful condition and a difficult ultimatum: an ankle fusion, which eliminates pain but permanently locks the bones together and limits movement, or a traditional replacement that preserves some mobility but is typically reserved for older, lighter, or less active patients, and one in 10 will fail within 10 years.
“Our research is looking to give all patients, but particularly younger and more active people, a better option for treatment, so they can continue being active at such an important stage in their lives. We are looking to develop new implants that will last much longer and restore mobility closer to that of the natural ankle.”
The project, called Engineering Advanced Solutions for End-stage Ankle Osteoarthritis (EASE-Ankle OA), is a five year project to tackle Total Ankle Replacement (TAR). It brings together engineers, scientists and clinicians from the University of Sheffield together with researchers from the universities of Birmingham, Warwick, Leeds, Cardiff, Dartmouth College, USA and KU Leuven, Belgium.
Professor Sue Hartley, Vice-President for Research and Innovation at the University of Sheffield, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to work on a significant health problem that has been overlooked in the past. By bringing together diverse expertise, the research will have a profound impact on people's lives, not just in the UK, but globally.
“As the first large grant funded by EPSRC that focuses on the ankle, this project sets a new benchmark for the field - combining a world-leading systematic approach with a commitment to developing the next generation of research leaders to deliver life changing impacts for Total Ankle Replacements patients.”
