Award Details:
Award Type: Catalyst
Award #: C-101
Proposal Title: Bending the Bone – Developing 21st Century Tools for Bony Manipulation in the Operating Room
PI(s): Lee Alkureishi (UIC) and Russell Reid (UChicago)
Award Amount: $250,000.00
Application Cycle: Round 29 (Spring 2020)
Award Start Date: September 1, 2020
Award End Date: August 31, 2022
Abstract:
Manipulation of bone segments is a technique integral to orthopaedic, hand, craniomaxillofacial, and plastic surgery. Bone can be cut, shaped, drilled and moved to reconstruct bony defects caused by cancer, trauma or congenital anomalies. These techniques were described in the 1960s utilizing available instruments–handheld drills and saws- and have changed little in 60 years (Tessier 1967). In the fields of industrial engineering and manufacturing, however, 3D computer-aided-design (CAD) and computer-numerically-controlled (CNC) machine tools have substantively replaced the use of manual/handheld tools producing rapid improvements in efficiency, safety and accuracy. This study is intended to develop the foundations for translating these 21st century techniques and tools into the operating room, by first developing an animal model for biomechanical testing of bone specimens, then using this model to optimize parameters for computer-controlled bone machining, with the ultimate goal of generating a flexible “bone mesh” that can be used to conform to various defects.