A Spanish hospital is emerging as a leader in a cutting-edge surgical technique offering fresh hope for amputees. The Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA) has become a national reference point for osteointegration, a procedure that directly connects a prosthetic limb to the bone, providing a more natural gait, improved stability, and a significant boost in quality of life.
Since performing its first osteointegration surgery in 2024, the hospital’s Traumatology team has completed six procedures, making HUCA the second most experienced center in Spain for this specialized technique. The service anticipates performing six more surgeries this year.
Developed at Macquarie University Hospital in Sydney, and currently available in a limited number of centers in Spain, the procedure involves anchoring a metal implant into the femur or tibia, allowing the prosthetic to connect directly to the skeleton. This approach aims to overcome the challenges associated with traditional prosthetic sockets – including instability, skin irritation, infections, and lower back pain – and accelerate the rehabilitation process.
HUCA has established a highly specialized care model that integrates Traumatology, Rehabilitation, Nursing, Plastic Surgery, Infectious Diseases, and Radiology. This coordinated approach has allowed the hospital to progressively expand the indications for the procedure and address increasingly complex cases.
“Surgery is only 10% of the treatment; the decisive factor is the subsequent work of the nursing and rehabilitation team, who support the patient until they can walk normally again,” emphasized David Alonso, head of the osteointegration program in Asturias and a specialist in osteoarticular infections and deformities. “Osteointegration restores proprioception: the ability to feel the ground and recognize where you are walking without looking down,” Alonso explained.
Suitable candidates for these interventions are transfemoral or transtibial amputees who have difficulty tolerating conventional prosthetic sockets, particularly those experiencing skin problems, instability, or recurrent infections. HUCA has treated six complex cases, including patients with double amputations and significant bone atrophy, accumulating unique experience in the field.
The results are promising. “We are seeing that even an imperfect osteointegration offers better results than a traditional socket in high amputations,” the specialist noted. This is particularly significant as advancements in prosthetic technology continue to improve the lives of those with limb loss.
HUCA is part of an international network of specialists linked to the Australian group that developed the implant, ensuring scientific support and collaboration in managing any complications. “Patients can rest assured: this is not an isolated technique, but a program with international backing and a wealth of accumulated experience,” Alonso added.
The growth of the osteointegration program reinforces HUCA’s leadership in advanced reconstructive surgery of extremities, with more than 200 complex procedures performed annually and a multidisciplinary structure comparable to the best hospitals in the country.
