Researchers from the University of Malta are working to develop a tiny implant that could help arthritis patients suffering knee pain live comfortable lives without major surgery. 

The Malta Council for Science and Technology-funded MaltaKnee project brings academics and private industry together in an attempt to develop a medical device that could theoretically do the job of knee cartilage, protecting the joint by absorbing shocks during movement. 

While arthritis patients suffering knee pain can undergo knee replacement surgery, that is a complicated medical procedure that comes with long recovery times. 

The MaltaKnee team is developed a tiny elastic-like implant that could be placed directly into the knee joint using simply surgery. 

Medical and engineering researchers are working with industrial partner EMPAV Engineering Ltd to develop the implant. 

The team are currently testing prototypes to see how they would react in different conditions that mimic the environment in the joint, but they hope that this could offer hope to those struggling with pain, without the need for major surgery.

But while the prospects of MaltaKnee are exciting, the product will not be used by local hospitals in the short term, the university said.

It said the project aims to fund the research needed to test the hypothesis and create a prototype.

However, rigorous testing and future clinical trials have to be conducted to ensure the implant passes the regulatory process before it can be made available as a treatment.  

Correction September 26, 2022: A previous version misstated the use of knee replacement surgery for arthritis patients with knee pain.