Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/R68962/01
Title:	Do the surface properties of wear debris dictate the biological response
Principal Investigator:	Birch, Dr MA
Other Investigators:	McCaskie, Professor A Green, Professor S
Researcher Co-Investigators:	Professor AP Elfick
Project Partners:
Department:	Surgical and Reproductive Sciences
Organisation:	Newcastle University
Scheme:	Postdoctoral Mobility PreFEC
Starts:	02 January 2002	Ends:	01 January 2003	Value (£):	72,813
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Biomaterials
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Healthcare
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Advanced joint disease can be successfully treated by joint replacement surgery however about 10% of patients will require difficult and costly revision surgery by ten years. Aseptic loosening is most commonly associated with the need for revision surgery but the mechanism underlying this condition is little understood. Wear debris produced at the articulation of the implant is believed to contribute to the loosening process by eliciting a cellular response in the surrounding tissue that leads to bone resorption. The surface properties of wear debris particles undoubtedly dictate the nature of their cellular interaction and therefore this proposal intends to characterise the relationship between the composition of proteins coating wear particles and biological response in vitro. Photon correlation spectroscopy and microelectrophoresis will determine how proteins commonly found in pseudosynovial joint fluid dynamically absorb to the surface of wear debris. The biological response to the characterised wear debris will then be analysed in two ways. Firstly the production of inflammatory mediators by osteoblasts/macrophages will be studied over hours and days; secondly atomic force microscopy will examine the adhesive interaction between wear debris and cells. These studies will provide us with a better understanding of how implant materials interact with the body.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk Summary Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:
Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.ncl.ac.uk