Midlanders to the Bone

Broken bones heal faster and more effectively thanks to the pioneering work of a West Midlands company, which has emerged from The Potteries' changing ceramics industry to lead the world in calcium composite medical technology.

Biocomposites is the only company in the world to have perfected the technique of creating medical implants - such as screws to hold bones in position after breakage - that contain calcium. Why is this so revolutionary? Because medical implants are now often made from polymer rather than the traditional titanium or stainless steel. And, while polymer has several important advantages over metal, surgeons found that, over time, devices can slip out of position and, more seriously, polymer can cause inflammation or swelling at the site of the repair. That's because polymer screws are designed to be absorbed by the body as the bones heal and this process releases acid. By incorporating calcium, it helps to neutralise the acid. The calcium is also present at the implant's surface to bind with the adjoining bone tissue and, so, prevent unwanted movement.

Simple? Maybe, but the technique has taken years of painstaking research to perfect and Biocomposites has faced many tough challenges along the way. Founder, Stephen Bratt is a third generation ceramicist from the Midlands who could, reasonably, have expected to follow in his father's and grandfather's footsteps. However, he recognised a development opportunity and had the vision and determination to pursue it. "The preliminary work was done while I was commercial director with a ceramics and minerals processing company dating back to 1820. Building on decades of calcium processing expertise, my colleagues and I could see the potential for new applications in the medical devices industry."

Stephen led a management buy-out in 1998 and with a six-strong team, most of whom hailed from Stoke-On-Trent, began to create a new technology. In the early days, to raise the company's profile and give it greater credibility, Stephen formed Medilink West Midlands. Based on a scheme pioneered in Yorkshire, Medilink West Midlands brought Biocomposites into direct contact with surgeons and medical experts and created a model that, with the financial backing of Advantage West Midlands, continues to benefit hundreds of fledgling companies to this day.

Biocomposites now occupies state-of-the-art new premises at Keele Science Park. Stephen commented: "The case for remaining in North Staffordshire is too strong to ignore. The robust medical links in the area, the obvious synergies between our company and the resources and knowledge found in North Staffordshire, and more specifically at Keele, would be extremely hard to replicate elsewhere in the UK. We are centrally located and within easy reach of the Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry, which is renowned worldwide for the quality of its research and care."

He acknowledges the role played by Advantage West Midlands in helping Biocomposites to remain in the UK: "Without Advantage West Midlands we would undoubtedly have been forced to succumb to pressure to relocate to the US. Their support has enabled us to remain in the region that nurtured us and we have ambitious plans to continue our pioneering research and development here."

Today, Biocomposites supplies Stryker, the biggest medical devices company in the world and its products are helping to improve the lives of people from here to China.

For more information visit www.biocomposites.com