Approved by Practitioners

An ultrasonic device for cement destruction during endoprosthetics was created by specialists of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering of Togliatti State University (TSU) and commissioned by Medtech company (Moscow). It is a domestic analogue of foreign devices, but it is about 3–5 times cheaper. The development was part of the Priority 2030 (the national project “Science and Universities”), run by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia.

Testing of the prototype was carried out by doctors of the National Medical Research Center for Oncology named after N.N. Blokhin.

“The device was tested on different types of bone cement, which is used in endoprosthetics. There are special bone models that are used for prosthetic training and for testing medical equipment. The model is filled with cement, and the whole process can be practiced on it," explains Vladimir Sokolovsky, a leading researcher at N.N. Blokhin NMRCO, a Doctor of Medical Science and oncologist.

During the testing process, doctors look at how the waveguide pierces the cement, how it melts and removes it, and how well the bone canal is cleaned, etc.

“The device of Togliatti State University has shown itself very well in the work. It allows performing operations on patients who need revision (recurrent) endoprosthesis replacement. I have extensive experience working with the imported Oscar surgical system, and I have something to compare with,” Vladimir Sokolovsky notes. “With the help of the TSU’s device, it is possible to easily remove cement from the bone canal without the risk of injury to the patient and thereby prepare the canal for the installation of a new implant.”

The specialist pointed out that the number of patients in need of such operations is growing every year.

“I was in a Swiss clinic that deals only with revision arthroplasty, so there is great need for such operations in this small country. In Russia, the need is much greater,” Vladimir Sokolovsky noted. “Our medicine is actively developing, and more and more prostheses are being installed in the country now. But sooner or later, there comes a time when the installed implant needs to be replaced, so such a device is more than relevant for us. At one time, we tested similar Russian-made devices, but they failed and simply ‘burned’ during the tests.”

Previously, rather crude tools were used for revision endoscopy: saws, hammers, and chisels, which often led to perforation of the patient's bone. Ultrasound significantly reduces the area of mechanical impact on the bone. As a result, the risk of injury decreases, as does the time of post-operative rehabilitation.

From now on, the company-customer will decide on the fate of the surgical instrument. Medtech will obtain a medical device registration at the Federal Service for Supervision of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, after which the instrument can be provided to medical facilities.

“We have passed the first and probably the most difficult step in creating the device. Now we need to solve minor technical issues together, develop a design, and start a long and difficult path of registration,” said Andrey Ushakov, Director of OOO Medtech. “I believe that the demand for this instrument is enormous, and every surgeon who deals with revision endoprosthetics should have such a device.”

After registration, the serial production of ultrasonic devices for removing cement will be launched at TSU’s Innovation and Technology Park.

* The Federal State Budgetary Institution “National Medical Research Center of Oncology named after N.N. Blokhin” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation is the largest oncology clinic in Russia and Europe, one of the largest oncology clinics in the world, with the latest equipment and all advanced methods of cancer diagnosis and treatment.