Reconstruction of Cartilages becomes a Reality without Invasive Surgery
JEDDAH, Sept 11 (CIC) – Painful surgery for cartilage reconstruction could soon be a thing of the past after a medical breakthrough by three Saudi Arabian specialists. The Jeddah-based team have developed a new procedure for cartilage problems using non-invasive surgical instruments.
The Saudi team realised their dream of turning their breakthrough in non-invasive surgical instruments into a reality after six years of negotiating a world of research, prototypes and patents. The invention, which they call the ‘KAU Rasping Tool’, makes possible cartilage restructuring without invasive surgery.
The three Jeddah-based specialists, Dr. Abdulkareem Fida, MD and Consultant Otolaryngologist and facial plastic surgery; Meshaal Al-Harasani, inventor and adviser at King Abdul Aziz University (KAU); and Dr. Faisal Zaqzooq, E.N.T (KAU), came together to develop the tool. Firstly, the team designed the saw-shaped needle that can reshape ear cartilage through a pinhole. The needle was first introduced to be used on soft cartilages which is typically found in children’s ears. Succeeding their research on younger patients the team morphed their needle into a new medical tool in a latter phase which was thicker and can be used on cartilages in adult patients. Today, the team are in the process of designing a handle to accommodate their latest tool, ‘KAU Rasping Tool’.
Dr. Fida said: “We consulted with a leading French manufacturing company and were advised to use Nano laser and Nano technology. Then we made the needle serrated and thick, with a certain flexibility to enter under the skin. Today the new needle works on most cartilages. This will enable future non-invasive surgeries in the knee without opening the knee cartilage.”
The journey of discovery began in 2012 when they met at a restaurant to discuss their project. They eventually focused on redesigning needles.
The following year the team applied for a global patent which they received after two years. The patent (No. 4109) granted by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KAUST) in the Makkah Province is valid for 20 years.
Dr. Fida said he first considered exploring the possibility of such a treatment when as a schoolboy he observed some friends being bullied for having protruding ears. He said their parents had wanted reconstructive surgery, which did not exist at the time. Today, the KAU Rasping Tool is being used on both children and adults in non-invasive procedure, bringing relief to many.
Fellow inventor Al Harasani explained that he saw the tool as more than a medical instrument. It represents the many possibilities that exist in today’s Saudi Arabia.
“Our ambition is to give young Saudis a global voice,” he said. “The new generation is the harbinger of change. With knowledge and creativity anything is possible.’’
The three men received a letter of appreciation last year from the French President Emmanuel Macron for their innovation.
