Filipino researchers develop affordable bone fracture treatment

Researchers from the University of the Philippines Manila (UPM) National Institutes of Health (NIH) have developed an innovative medical device that stabilizes and supports fractured bones in a bid to promote a more efficient healing process.

According to the researchers, the iFix Project provides a cost-effective, locally produced alternative to traditional metal external fixators, which are often expensive and inaccessible to many patients.

This comes as road traffic accidents have been increasing in recent years, as well as the incidence of long bone fractures.

The Department of Health (DOH) previously identified that road crash-related injuries remain among the top causes of deaths in children and adults.

In 2023, 31.1 percent of the reported injurieswere due to transport/vehicular crash, according to DOH.

The iFix Project

External fixator devices, according to the researchers, stabilize long bone fractures quickly and efficiently, especially those with very complicated fractures.

They are made up of clamps, metal rods, and pins inserted into the bone through the skin. These are then connected to an external frame (rods).

These devices are especially important for treating severe fractures, particularly open fractures, where the bone breaks through the skin.

External fixators ensure proper bone alignment while allowing adjustments as needed throughout recovery, promoting effective healing.

"Locally available external fixator systems perform the job, but we want to find ways to do it better. The strength of the locally available constructs has not been tested and using it is challenging,” orthopedic surgeon and team leader of the iFix Project, Dr. Emmanuel Estrella explained.

“Our idea was to come up with an external fixator system that will be tested for its strength, easy to apply, and affordable," Estrella continued.

The iFix Project team has developed and tested prototypes of the device, and orthopedic surgeons are currently evaluating them on cadaveric bones.

“We wanted to make sure that end-users will be able to use it effectively and easily. Biomechanical testing has been done and the clamp design has shown great strength, comparable to local fixator systems. The application in actual patients will be the second phase of our study," Dr. Estrella added.

The team is in the process of securing a patent for the device, with plans to collaborate with local manufacturers to produce the iFix system in the Philippines, according to Estrella.

This initiative is expected to boost local industry while making the device widely accessible, he added.

"Our current design has fewer components, which reduces costs while ensuring the device's functionality and reliability," Engr. Jason Pechardo from the UPM Surgical Innovation and Biotechnology Laboratory (SIBoL) explained.

“We aim to offer something between the high-end models that are often too expensive and the more affordable ones that lack quality,” Pechardo added.

The iFix Project team, which includes Engr. Eduardo Magdaluyo Jr. and Engr. Miguel Aljibe, is currently exploring licensing options to bring the product to market.

"We hope to work with local manufacturers to create a dependable product that Filipinos can rely on," Pechardo concluded.