Of all the ligaments in the knee, the anterior cruciate ligament is of greatest concern for its role in prohibiting anterior motion. Rupture to the ACL is universally catastrophic, and the only treatment is replacement with a cadaveric or autologous graft. No matter which graft is chosen, the anatomical positioning of this graft is impossible, thus the ultimate recovery can never be perfect. While the collateral ligaments heal when ruptured, the cruciate ligaments do not despite also containing an endogenous vascular network. Indeed, the knee is often full of blood upon opening to conduct the replacement, suggesting that if assistive technologies were available, a survivable repair may be possible. Small patches placed on the surface of partially torn ACLs can promote intact healing, but to date no patch has been developed for complete ruptures of the ACL. Our collaborator, Dr. Dan Nawabi at the hospital for special surgery, is an expert in ACL reconstructive surgery, and is able to reattach ruptured ACLs in their anatomical position. The goal of this project is to develop a wrappable sleeve technology to provide temporary biomechanical support while guiding endogenous revascularization. This project is looking for a student or team of students to research and develop this strategy, including developing an ex vivo test rig to evaluate candidate strategies for a large animal model.
Advisor Name: Jonathan Butcher
- Email - jtb47@cornell.edu
Co-Advisor Name: Danyal Nawabi (HSS)
Interested candidates should email a statement of interest and suitability of background/training, an updated resume, and a fall semester class schedule to Jonathan Butcher (jtb47@cornell.edu). Teams of students are also accepted.