AMRC researchers help create surgical screw

Staff at the Medical Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre at Catcliffe were called in by Innovate Orthopaedics to help with the product.

The screws are designed for specific surgical procedures such as reconstructing the knee’s anterior cruciate ligament, which can be torn during sports like football, rugby, tennis, skiing and basketball.

Reconstruction involves inserting a piece of healthy tendon in place and securing it with a screw, over which the bone will grow.

Marcus Crossley, senior project manager at the Medical AMRC, said: “We worked with IO to combine different aspects of their two designs and create one universal design that reduced the force needed to insert the screw while maintaining fixation.

“The benefits of using the new screw don’t stop there, however. It helps the surgeon by engaging more rapidly with the ligament and bone when it is inserted and reduces the fatigue experienced by the surgeon and minimises damage to the replacement ligament.”

Alex Gutteridge, founder of Huddersfield-based IO, said clinical tests had produced extremely positive results and demand was rising from surgeons here and abroad.

He added: “The Medical AMRC didn’t only help us refine our designs and take them into production, it also helped us to create patentable technology.”

AMRC partners Star Micronics and Sandvik Coromant helped develop prototype screws.