Osseointegration
What is Osseointegration?
Osseointegration is the term used to describe bony ingrowth or ‘integration’ into a titanium implant. It was first discovered in the 1970’s by Per Ingvar Branemark in Sweden, and was subsequently used in the creation of osseointegrated dental implants. Per Ingvar’s son, Rikard, himself an orthopaedic surgeon, then attempted to harness the principles of osseointegration with regards to upper and lower limb amputees.
It is now an established, albeit niche technique, that can transform the lives of above knee amputees who are unable to ambulate well on a standard prosthesis. The technique involves the insertion of a titanium implant into the bone that remains in the amputation stump. Once the implant has integrated into the bone it can then be directly connected to a prosthesis through an opening in the soft tissue of the stump.
Benefits of Osseointegration
A major advantage of this technique over standard prosthetics is the ability to ‘feel the ground’ through ‘osseo-proprioception’, which is the feeling of sensation gained from connecting the bone directly onto the weight bearing prosthetic. In addition, the time taken to put on (don) and take off (doff) the prosthetic limb is greatly reduced making this a life changing procedure for a select cohort of amputees.
Dr Parviz was the Clinical Director for Plastic Surgery at the Royal London Hospital, the UK’s largest trauma centre.
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