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Working with the NHS National Innovation Centre, BDI member Canard Design has designed a unique medical device for patients with hip fracture. The FNoF (fractured neck of femur) Splint immobilises hip fractures during emergency paramedic treatment and hospital transfers – situations for which no satisfactory medical device currently exists.

The easy-clean, recyclable and re-usable multi-purpose splint requires minimal training to apply and is an affordable solution to a serious problem: approximately 70,000 neck of femur fractures per year occur in the UK, with a 30% mortality rate among the elderly within one year of a fall.

An innovative feature of the FNoF Splint is that it can remain in place during x-ray, as it is constructed from radiolucent materials. The project’s care pathway proposes to fast-track patients with suspected hip fractures, enabling them to bypass A&E and go straight to x-ray.

A simple, intuitive mechanical device that is applied externally and can also be used to apply traction for the support of a mid-shaft femur break (and, potentially, tibia and fibula fractures) – the FNoF Splint allows controlled incremental movement of the patient’s limbs, enabling immobilisation in the most comfortable position.

The clinical lead for the collaborative project is Professor W Angus Wallace, Professor of Orthopaedic and Accident Surgery at Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. Other stakeholders included A&E staff, orthotists, orthopaedic surgeons, paramedics and radiographers.

“The development process has been a text-book example of how technological innovation can be best achieved by involving frontline staff in identifying the need and inviting them to work with designers and others to bring a product to market,” said Brian Winn, NIC’s head of technology and product introduction.

The devices are currently undergoing stringent MHRA and ethics approvals prior to a pilot study in December, when a batch of functional prototypes produced by Canard Design are due to enter clinical trials within the Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) and the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS).

Canard Design’s client portfolio includes NHS, Maelstrom, Mediwatch, and Omniperception. Based in Kibworth, Leicestershire, the consultancy has provided problem-solving innovation for the scientific, medical and security industries for over 15 years.

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