Advanced Veterinary Devices

Fusion Implants Ltd. was founded in March 2013 by Chris Sutcliffe,Dan Jones (The School of Engineering), John Innes and Rob Pettitt (School of Veterinary Science), University of Liverpool during a collaborative work program. The company objectives are to produce advanced porous implantable veterinary devices manufactured from Titanium by an additive layer manufacturing process called Selective Laser Melting.
Rupture of the canine cruciate ligament (CCL) is the leading cause of lameness and affects nearly 20% of dogs. In the US alone, it is estimated that around 1.2 million dog knees undergo CCL repair each year, with around 120,000 in the UK. The total spend on surgical repair of CCL rupture (using a range of techniques, and including all the care involved) in the US was just over $1.3 billion in 2003, and the total market for TTA implant devices is estimated at around £180 million in the US and around £18 million in the UK.
This project proposal aim is to develop Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA) implants for canines, which can be used in routine surgery for cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) repair. CCL repair surgery involves a portion of bone being removed from the tibia to allow the restructuring of the angle of the knee joint, which is subsequently held in place by porous titanium TTA implants.