In hip replacement surgery the artificial joint that we currently use only lasts a few years and then it has to be replaced.

Professor Robert Bradley

Team leader Professor Robert Bradley said: "Modern medicine uses a vast range of regenerative and restorative procedures that use man-made devices, such as artificial hearts and hip joints.

"For example, in hip replacement surgery the artificial joint that we currently use only lasts a few years and then it has to be replaced.

"This is distressing for the patients and costly to the NHS.

"We are trying to improve the surfaces of the implant materials so that they grow together with the patient's own bone to reduce wear, making subsequent replacement unnecessary."

The team is using various techniques to control and fully understand the surface properties of the plastics, metals and ceramics used in replacement surgery.

Prominent research team

The scientists are also using plastic films to grow cells that can be harvested and used to repair burn wounds or in surgery such as tumour removal.

The work aims to make the cells "comfortable" on the plastic surface so they will multiply and remain stable and can then be stored until needed.

The university's work received a grant of �840,000 from the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council and is based in the Advanced Materials Research Centre of RGU's School of Engineering.

Work began last August with a team of about 12, but a number of prominent UK research teams have indicated that they wish to be included in the research.

The project team also includes staff from the department of orthopaedic surgery of Grampian NHS Trust and Aberdeen University.