10119348New generation bioceramic treatment technology for orthopaedic implants with complex surfaces for the prevention of periprosthetic joint infectionsActiveCR&D BilateralInnovate UKProsthetic infection following total joint replacement remain a serious complication despite improvements in implant design and operating room hygiene. The consequences of late infection affect patients both physically and psychologically for patients, leading to complete failure of the arthroplasty fixation, possible amputation, prolonged hospitalization to treat infection, and in rare circumstances amputation or death. Although with the use of prophylactic antibiotics and greatly improved operating room techniques the infection rate has decreased markedly during the years, challenges still remain for better preventive and therapeutic measures. The risks of prosthetic infection are exacerbated with implants that have complex surface geometries and the project envisages the benefits of developing osteoconductive surfaces that also provide antibacterial activity to limit or preclude local prosthetic infection. Medacta, Swiss implant manufacturer, have developed and patented electrolytic oxidation process and specific electrolyte to build calcium phosphate rich layer on the surface of titanium alloys. Applying such coatings on complex geometry surfaces are challenging. BioCera Medical, UK have developed and patented a novel electrochemical surface conversion process to yield a bioceramic layer on complex convoluted surfaces. The companies believe that a combination of their innovative technologies will result in a process for treatment of complex surface topography, beneficial for ingrowth, with a dense bioceramic layer capable of including specific elemental compositions to improve cellular proliferation throughout the complex surfaces that enhances osteo integration to host bone and include specific antibacterial elements to reduce the incidence of prosthetic joint infections, a cause of late failures with orthopaedic implants. Project objectives: * To develop robust integrated bioceramic surfaces onto established orthopaedic ingrowth surfaces applicable at a commercial scale to facilitate the regulatory pathway and clinical introduction. * Establish the bioactivity of bioceramic surfaces regarding inhibition of prosthetic joint infections through the addition of antibacterial additives. * To develop validated process and pilot scale facility to advance the development onto orthopaedic implants and accelerate into clinical use.