Mr Edward Tayton MBBS, FRCS, PGCE, MSc, PhD, is a fully qualified UK trained Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon. He has over 12 years experience in Trauma, and now specialises in Hip and Knee surgery as well as Trauma. He qualified from the University of London in 2002 and completed his higher surgical training in the Wessex region of Southern England.
During his surgical training he gained a Masters level research degree from the University of Cardiff, for work assessing the bone preserving effects of a novel flexible hip implant. He subsequently took time out of training to successfully lead and complete a Medical Research Council funded project assessing tissue engineered polymeric scaffolds with stem cells as a method of regenerating lost bone and cartilage. He was awarded numerous prizes for the work, obtained a patent for the scaffolds and was ultimately awarded a PhD from the University of Southampton in 2014. His keen research interest remains. He has recently published in the Bone and Joint Journal (UK leading journal) on his work surrounding Infection in Total Knee Replacement, and presented the work at this years American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons meeting.
After completing his standard UK training he undertook an international fellowship in Auckland, New Zealand, where he obtained specialist training in complex hip and knee surgery. During this time he gained additional knowledge and skills in computer navigated knee replacement, revision hip and knee replacement, as well as unicompartmental (half) knee replacement. On return to the UK he underwent further specialist fellowship training under the guidance of Professor Robert Middleton, learning techniques for the management of complex hip problems, including hip arthroscopy and complex revision hip surgery.
About the Surgeon //
Run New Zealand 2014
I'm a keen sportsman and still run competitively despite my advancing years! I was placed in the top 200 finishers in the Auckland Marathon in 2014, and came 10th in the famous Coastal Challenge, one of the toughest half marathons in the world.
I understand the importance of good functioning knees and hips having picked up multiple injuries over my time, and can give first hand advice regarding sporting problems and treatments.
Computer Navigated Knee Replacement
A multitude of evidence clearly shows that the surgical positioning of a total knee replacement is more accurate when using computer navigation assistance. As national registry data begins to publish Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS), it is likely to show that those patients in whom the implants are positioned more accurately, have better results.
Due to both time and financial constraints, the use of computer navigation for joint replacement in the NHS has not been widely taken up. However, in the Southern hemisphere where there are less pressures, navigation is widespread. Thus having spent a year in Auckland I have gained exceptional experience with the use of modern computer navigation systems for total knee replacement, and am passionate about incorporating these skills into the UK system.
Ghana
During my training I had the opportunity to spend a period of time in one of the only hospitals in West Africa that offers Orthopaedic treatment to patients. I was able to witness and treat conditions only previously seen in historical textbooks. Whole families had often travelled for days, and camped out in hospital grounds just to see a doctor. It gave great insight into how priviledged we are to live in a more developed country.
NHS Commitment
My NHS practice is based at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. I also offer outreach clinics in West Berkshire Community Hospital and the Bracknell Healthspace. I hold a substantiative NHS consultant post specialising in lower limb (hip and knee) surgery, as well as trauma.
Motec Life-UK has a number of projects that are intended to help improve hospital and public health based care of underprivileged patients in the target hospitals and health care training institutions in sub-Saharan Africa especially Ghana.
I have numerous trainees working under my guidance, and act as both an educational and clinical supervisor. I also organise the Orthopaedic training for the Physicians Assistants affiliated with the University of Reading. I am particularly interested in maintaining high surgical training standards, and have consolidated this with a Post Graduate Certificate in Medical Education (PGCE).
The use of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering for the management of common hip and knee problems is currently a hot topic in the Orthopaedic community.
I spent three years at the University of Southampton working in the Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration. The Bone and Joint Research Unit is led by Professor Richard Oreffo, and is one of the worlds leading groups focused on developing strategies to repair bone & cartilage and understanding bone development.
Cutting Edge Research //
I led a Medical Research Council funded project which assessed an array of polymer composite scaffolds tissue engineered with stem cells, as a potential method of creating new bone in areas of significant bone loss.
The project was brought in on budget and in time, led to over 10 publications in leading journals. The work has been presented at meetings all over the world, and has won numerous awards. A patent has been achieved on the novel scaffolds produced, and work is on going towards achieving translation for human use.
The surrounding images are all taken from the project and show (A) Stem Cells (green dots) growing profusely on the scaffolds, (B) a CT scan of new bone formed from the scaffolds, (C) the new bone being tested mechanically for strength compared to native bone, and (D) histological examination of the new bone to ensure it is microscopically the same as native bone.
I have continued my keen research interest and am currently involved in a number of research studies. Current areas of interest include novel use of PROMS data and predictive algorithms for diagnosis and prediction of outcome in joint replacement surgery, as well as reducing infection in arthroplasty.
