TOKA treatment builds bespoke 3D printed knee implants

Developed by engineers at Bath University’s Centre for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI), the TOKA (Tailored Osteotomy for Knee Alignment) treatment improves the operative procedure and fit of high-tibial osteotomy (HTO) plates used to realign a patient's knee, making them more stable, comfortable and better able to bear weight than existing generic plates. The technique is also said to simplify HTO surgery, making operations quicker and safer.

The HTO plates have been tested virtually in a computer-based trial using CT scan data from 28 patients. The in-silico clinical trial, the first in the world to demonstrate the safety of an orthopaedic device, modelled the stresses that would be exerted on the bespoke plates and showed that they would be comparable in safety to the standard treatment.

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In a statement, Professor Richie Gill, from the Centre for Therapeutic Innovation, said: "Knee osteoarthritis is a major health, social and economic issue and does not receive as much attention as it should. A quarter of women over 45 have it, and about 15 per cent of men, so it's a significant burden that many live with.