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PAIN FREE JOINTS FOR ARTHRITIS SUFFERERS
News From Tampere University of Technology in Finland
Doctors have successfully grown new finger and toe joints in people with rheumatoid arthritis. The new technique can reverse the damage caused by the disease, as well as restore movement and end pain. They accomplished the feat by creating a specially designed mold that helps tissue grow between two bones and create a functional joint.
The mold itself is made of a biodegradable type of YARN so that it disappears in about 18 months, leaving just the tissue. 'The patient can start moving their finger or toe almost immediately. The joint functions in the same way as a healthy joint', Professor Pertti Tormala told the BBC.Surgeons began testing the technique five years ago and have since used it successfully in more than 100 people with rheumatoid arthritis. 'We have followed many of these patients for the past few years. For the vast majority, their problems have disappeared. 'This study will be continuing for another year. We hope we will be able to make this procedure widely available. 'Rheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation of the lining of the joints, which can lose shape, resulting in the loss of normal movement.Currently, a plastic implant between bones is used to help restore movement, but these implants can become brittle and break.
Mary Wilson MD
From Bill Hoffmann's report
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