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INNOVATION FOR INDEPENDENCE
ISSUE 73 June/July 10 £6.95
Bid to relieve discomfort for UK’s amputees By Dominic Musgrave RESEARCH that could relieve pain and discomfort for thousands of Britain’s amputees is underway at two Scottish universities. According to Strathclyde and Glasgow universities, approximately half of the 62,000 people living with limb loss in the UK are affected by skin infections or irritation thought to be caused by bacteria in the prosthetic liners that separate a prosthetic limb from the skin. A clinical scientist, microbiologists, mathematicians, physicists and engineers from the universities are joining forces to help reduce the scale of the problem. The team will examine the bacterial and other microbial populations in prosthetic liners with the longterm aim of designing new technologies, including antimicrobial lining materials. The research team is being led by Dr Rebecca Lunn of the University of Strathclyde’s Department of Civil Engineering, in close collaboration with Dr Margrit Meier of Strathclyde’s National Centre for Prosthetics and Orthotics. Rebecca said: “At the moment, sockets are designed for structural performance and to
stop chaffing, but this tight connection between the prosthesis and the limb provides ideal conditions for bacterial growth. “Even if a person keeps their prosthetic socket meticulously clean, it is inevitable that bacteria will settle over its lifetime. This can lead to infection and, ultimately, a breakdown of the whole prosthetic system.” Estimates suggest that every year around 4,500 new lower-limb amputations occur within the UK, of which the large majority will be fitted with a prosthetic liner. The study will collect data on the microbial populations present in a number of liners from users who have experienced skin infections and those who have not had any problems. Experts will image and compare the size and location of microbial populations using electron microscopy; model the growth of bacteria and investigate the behaviour of bacteria in porous materials. As more information is revealed on the type and nature of the microbial populations, the team will combine their expertise to come up with ways to reduce the risk of infection. The team was awarded an 18-month £200,000 grant to develop research proposals on how to improve the biological and mechanical performance of prosthetic limbs.
Veterinary scientists at the University of Liverpool are looking for Newfoundland dogs to participate in a study that aims to develop a new test to reduce the prevalence of cruciate ligament disease in canines. And they hope that by identifying the genes that are involved in this debilitating condition, which is also common in professional sportsmen such as Tiger Woods, they can help develop a test to detect it early on.