• A tumor of the distal femur would destroy the adjacent bone near to the knee, this would results in the tumor spreading to the muscles, blood vessels and nerve.
• Amputation is necessary so as to minimize the chances of surgical complications. It also ensure that the local tumor is removed.
  

Why need to use artificial implants??

• Patients may be difficult to adapt to the sudden lost in limbs.
• They also can’t accept the change in appearance.

Different types of artificial implants available

• Bone and Joint Transplant (Osteoarticular Allograft.
• Lower end of the femur can be replaced with a bone implants with a joint surface (osteoarticular allograft).
• Bones are joined by metal plates and screws, the muscles and joint ligaments are reattached to the transplant to form a working joint.
• Advantages: normal movement is restored.
• Disadvantages: complexity of the surgical procedure ( possible injry to major blood vessel or nerve)
  

• An artificial metallic implant that can be used to replace the entire end of femur and knee joints.
• Rod portion of the implant fits into the hollow marrow cavity in the femur, and secured with bone cement.
• Advantages: faster recovery than allograft.
• Disadvantages: possible cases of loosening, breakage and erosion.
  

• It is a permanent joint fusion.
• A section of bone graft (obtained from another site in the body or from a bone bank) is used to bridge the gap between the femur and tibia (knitting the bones at both ends) and is held in place by metal plates, screws or rods.
• Advantages: walking and running and non-contacts sports are possible after healing.
• Disadvantages: stiff knee
  
  

Then I asked Dr Leevur about corneal transplant, since it's very popular these days. I think he is too tired to explain to be any further, he gave me a brochure.

Good thing this way, I have hard copy of the information! yayyy!

• It is also known as keratoplasty.
• The cornea come from a dead person.
• Cornea is composed entirely of a special type of collagen.
• Cornea normally contain no blood vessel.

Purpose??

• Use when vision is lost in an eye due to damage of cornea.
• Surgery would only be carried out if only corrective lenses are useless with the case.

Process

• A disc of tissue is removed from the centre of the eye.
• It is then substituted by a corresponding tissue from the donor’s eye.
• The incision is made by a instrument called a trephine.
• The disc removed and replaced is the entire thickness of the cornea.

http://www.coleb.org/images/corneal_transplants2.jpg


• Very low risks of rejections.
• This is because cornea contains no blood vessels, thus it would have low rate of rejections.
• This is because allograft rejection occurs due to reaction between the patient’s immune system and the donor tissue, which is triggered by histocompatibility antigens.
• Histocompatibility antigens is often associated with vascular tissue ( blood tissue) within the graft tissue.

Health A to Z (2004). Corneal Transplantation. Singapore. Retrieved 8 Feb, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?requestURI=/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/corneal_transplantation.jsp

(:
XOXO

I found some information about artificial transplant at http://www.kidney.bc.ca/kidneys/transplants/index.html and brought it over to Mt. Temasek Specialist Centre. Dr Leevur confirmed with me that the information I found was correct.

Pros:
1. Reduced risk of rejection due to the absence of antigens production in artificial organs
2. No need for donor, reduced time for waiting
3. Patient’s pain eased
4. No need for dialysis
5. Diet and fluid restriction gone
6. Normal lifestyle returned

Cons:
1. Finite life span of implants due to wear and tear
2. Need to be replaced after a certain time
3. Costly
4. Hip or knee replacement surgery must undergo surgical revision within three years
5. Constant revision
6. Unnatural
7. Emotionally unease for some people
8. Medication might be necessary

Grandma is currently relying on dialysis, we need to make a decision soon. Weighing the pros and cons, there seems to be more cons than pros, but this is our only hope!

Kuby, Janis (1992). Immunology. Transplantation Immunology (pp. 489). USA: Freeman

I found this diagram to help better understand about what happens to the blood vessel on acceptance and rejection. Click on the picture to get a clearer picture!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/morgspace/423622783/

We hope God will send angels to help us.

Xoxo