Cementing better ops

Research about to start in Leeds could have a major impact in two common types of joint replacement operation performed on more than 80,000 people every year. It could also help prevent serious complications in a new type of surgery to mend spinal fractures.

A team at the University of Leeds' department of mechanical engineering has been awarded almost £150,000 over three years by the Arthritis Research Campaign (arc) to develop and refine the cement used in hip and knee replacement surgery.

Although in younger patients, uncemented joint replacements are becoming more common because they are easier to replace, cemented artificial joints are still extremely common and successful in older patients with severe osteoarthritis.

The same type of cement is also used in a new, experimental type of surgery to mend spinal fractures in patients with severe osteoporosis. This type of operation, known as a vertebroplasty, is simple and quick to perform with liquid cement being injected into the crumbling spine before setting hard and filling gaps in the bone. But if the cement leaks, it can press on the spinal cord or can even cause a clot in the blood stream.