Paws for thought over bionic cat

The two-and-a-half-year-old lost eight of his nine lives after his rear paws were amputated by a combine harvester as he basked in the sunshine.

Thanks to bioengineering work by Surrey-based neuro-orthopaedic veterinary surgeon Noel Fitzpatrick, he has gained new feet in a world-first operation.

The revolutionary design uses custom-made implants to "peg" the ankle to the foot and mimics the way in which deer antler bone grows through skin.

Oscar's road to recovery began after his local vet from St Saviour in Jersey referred his owners, Kate and Mike Nolan, to the veterinary surgeon's 10m facility in Eashing, near Godalming.

Mrs Nolan said: "We had to do a lot of soul-searching and our main concern has always been whether this operation would be in Oscar's best interests and would give him a better quality of life."

Working with a team from University College London (UCL), Dr Fitzpatrick pioneered the use of the weight-bearing prosthetic implants, combining engineering mechanics with biology.

The artificial implants, which are attached to the bone at the amputation site, were coated with hydroxyapatite, which encourages bone cells to grow onto the metal. The skin then grows over a special "umbrella" at the end of the peg to form a seal against bacteria and potentially-fatal infections.

The peg protrudes through the bone and skin, allowing the custom-built artificial paws to then be securely attached.

Following surgery last November, Oscar was trying to stand within a day of the operation. Despite some problems with infection, in less than four months he could stand and bear weight equally on all four limbs.

He has since been fitted with a series of prototype new paws and is back to his normal self.

Dr Fitzpatrick's work will feature as part of a six-part BBC One documentary series, The Bionic Vet, starting later this month.