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Bupa award for bionic bone to treat child cancer
31 October 2003
A revolutionary 'growing' prosthesis for children with bone cancer has won the Bupa sponsored 'Medical Futures Best Innovation in Child Health' award. For the hundreds of children diagnosed with bone cancer each year, the new "replacement" bone means that there is no need for subsequent surgery each time the device needs lengthening in line with their growth. It also represents a quick and painless alternative to the traditional follow-up treatment of this serious condition. During the illness the child's unaffected leg will continue to grow at a normal rate. Previous prostheses have necessitated further surgical procedures at regular intervals to extend the prosthesis otherwise the affected leg would become shorter than the other.
Two consultants, Mr Tim Briggs and Mr Steve Cannon of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) in Stanmore, Middlesex have won the award.
This new prosthesis is implanted following initial chemotherapy treatment. It is then lengthened remotely by placing a specially designed electromagnetic coil over the leg to generate an electromagnetic field. This magnet rotates within the prosthesis at 3,000 revolutions per minute and is connected to a mechanism inside the implant to extend the prosthesis. The lengthening procedure lasts around four minutes and takes place in a consultation room. Patients experience no discomfort and are able to return home immediately afterwards, resuming normal activities the same day.
This new approach also reduces the risk of infection associated with the previously lengthy hospitalisation. In addition to the benefits to children's quality of life, this new prosthesis is expected to substantially reduce the cost of treating bone cancer in children.
The prosthesis was designed onsite at the University College London (UCL) bio-medical engineering facility at the RNOH in Stanmore.
Award winner and medical director of the RNOH Mr Briggs explains: "We are absolutely delighted to win this prestigious award which is the result of many years of teamwork between the RNOH and bio-medical engineering, UCL at Stanmore. This new prosthesis has greatly improved the quality of life for young people with bone cancer. Saving them from having to go to theatre and spend long periods of time in hospital has to be a good thing."
Dr Andrew Vallance-Owen, Bupa group medical director and Medical Futures Awards judge, said: "Bupa is very proud to be associated with these awards and to support the future of medical technology and patient care. The calibre of entries in the Bupa-sponsored award was impressive and it was extremely difficult to choose only one winner. All the judges were incredibly enthusiastic about this entry and were really struck by its ability to overcome much of the pain often associated with bone cancer."
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