Nanoceramic prostheses: the first swallow
The Novosibirsk man was implanted with a nanoprosthesis
The first operation in Russia using a unique Novosibirsk implant made of nanostructured ceramics lasted only about an hour, but it was the result of many years of research. And this is a step forward not only for Russian, but also for world medicine.
The volunteer, in whose spine a bioceramic prosthesis "lives" for several days, is called Vitaly Gaas. He is 35 years old, has two sons, and works as a forklift truck driver. He went to the doctors complaining of severe, almost unbearable pain in his right arm, which almost stopped rising. It turned out that the cause of the pain was an intervertebral hernia in the cervical spine. When Vitaly was offered to take part in clinical trials of the new material, he agreed immediately. This was a success not only for him, but also for the doctors – before that they examined at least 500 applicants for volunteers. They were looking for the best for the first operation.
The implant installed between the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae is the size of a fingernail, the scar is barely noticeable, and three hours after the operation, Vitaly was on his feet, and the pain in his arm disappeared. It would seem that everything is simple and everyday, but in fact – a breakthrough in medicine. First of all, the material from which the Novosibirsk implant is made is unique: this is a bioceramic with specially formed minute pores and a special coating, which is why it is called nanostructured. "There are virtually no ceramic prostheses for the spine in the world," says Mikhail Sadovoy, Director of the NNIITO. "We are moving in a new direction, and medical companies from the USA, Great Britain, and Germany are already showing interest in our developments."
– During this operation, the implant allowed us to firmly connect the vertebrae after the hernia was removed, – Alexander Krutko, head of the Department of Neurosurgery at NNIITO, told RG. – In three months, the prosthesis will germinate with bone tissue, a bone-ceramic block will form, and the spine will recover – this is what we are trying to achieve.
Photo: Tatiana Kravchenko/RGThe bioceramic prosthesis is able to germinate bone tissue thanks to its nanostructure – the smallest pores.
This is one of the advantages of this material in comparison with the usual metal structures. There are others.
– Ceramics are bioinert, that is, they are not rejected by the human body, – says Mikhail Sadovoy. – High–quality bioceramic material has high strength and lasts on average twice as long as metal prostheses - up to 20 years. Finally, ceramics do not interfere with diagnostics, primarily with magnetic resonance imaging studies, whereas a metal prosthesis changes the magnetic field, gives a false image during MRI, and doctors, in fact, cannot assess how the recovery process is going.
Why did the new medical material appear in Siberia? According to Mikhail Sadovoy, this became possible due to the fact that three structures are working simultaneously in Novosibirsk. Firstly, the manufacturer is NEVZ–Soyuz (based on the former Novosibirsk Electric Vacuum Plant), where unique expensive equipment has been installed with the support of Rusnano. Secondly, NNIITO, where there is everything necessary for clinical trials of a new material, and whose specialists formed the terms of reference for bioceramics – what properties it should have. And, finally, the first closed-cycle medical technopark in Russia, capable of linking everything into one chain and bringing products to market. In addition, as Ekaterina Mamonova, General Director of the Innovative Medical Technology Center, told RG, several institutes of the SB RAS took part in the development of the new material, which lasted more than three years - each on its own site.
– Prostheses for the spine are just the beginning, – Mikhail Sadovoy believes. – We plan to start manufacturing endoprostheses for joints, primarily hip and knee. This is aerobatics – not just to reproduce, but also to improve the quality of endoprostheses, which are currently produced only by a German company – a world leader in this field, and I think we will come to this in one and a half to two years. In addition, today we are starting to think about bioceramic formulations with specified properties (gradient ceramics).
Two more volunteers are already ready for the same operations that Vitaly Gaas went through (he will be discharged from the clinic in the coming days). And in seven to eight months, in the first quarter of 2014, the production of such operations will become massive in Russia, says Mikhail Sadovoy. By this time, the installation of bioceramic prostheses should be included in the state medical care program – that is, quotas will be set for it.
NNIITO surgeons hope that bioceramic prostheses will give them a chance to save many lives – patients with an explosive fracture of the spine, when the vertebra turns into a crumb, must be operated on in the first hours after the injury, otherwise they may die from compression of the spinal cord. In these cases, implants can replace the destroyed vertebrae. A vital part of a person – in fact, made of clay, sand. Doctors do not see anything supernatural in this.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru21.03.2013