The bionic bone that grows with the patient

By Brandie Umar - Executive Director of Content | June 8th, 2010

Bone cancer in children is a rare form of cancer but one that can leave children partially disabled as a result. Pediatric bone cancer typically occurs in the femur - the leg bone connecting the hip to the knee. To treat osteosarcoma bone cancer, doctors must remove the damaged bone. Currently, once the bone is removed a metal prosthetic is implanted to replicate the funtionality of the bone. For children still growing, following recovery from bone cancer as many as eight subsequent surgeries would be necessary to retain mobility using this metal prosthetic. A new breakthrough in orthopedic surgery offers the hope of no follow-up surgery and a faster recovery period from childhood cancer.

Surgeons have begun pioneering treatment to replace the damaged femur bone with a bionic implant.

Unlike metal implants which need to replaced as the childs' surrounding bones grow, the bionic implant can be extended using an electromagnetic device, lengthening the childs' leg with no surgery.

Every year a healthy child grows a minimum of 1 inch. Without extending the length of the replacement femur, children have one leg longer than the other which can cause a limp and joint pain. Conventional treatment required extensive surgery to lengthen the leg; the recovery period was long and a child could need as many as eight follow-up surgeries to maintain the correct length of the leg. The new technology allows the leg to be lengthened in a 5 minute outpatient appointment using a simple electromagnetic device.

This new technology is currently being applied to help child patients recovering from bone cancer, however doctors believe the bionic implants could revolutionise orthopedic treatments. It is hoped that the bionic implant could offer a cure to spinal curvatures and be developed for use with amputees.

Eight children have so far been fitted with the bionic leg implant with successful results.